Days Of Our Lives
by McChubbin
Summary: UPDATED! CHAPTER 9 FINALLY ADDED! A new evil is released upon Earth and Shasta starts to experience paranoid episodes...
1. Chapter 1

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~*Days Of Our Lives*~

By Shasta

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for some characters I made up and the plotline, so don't sue a gigalo!

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A/N: I've had this fic idea in my head for a while and have only just settled down to write it. In a way, it is also semi- biographical, as my relationship with my own father is…*eyes darken*…not exactly the kind I'd have chosen for myself… Reviews and constructive criticism is welcome.

BTW, I've altered some of the plotlines of DBZ to fit in with the story. Such plotholes include Yamcha being a Saiyen and him never being romantically linked to Bulma, to name a minute few. Well, enough of my rambling! Read on, dear reader!

PS: Arailani is pronouced ' Air-rail-lan-knee' for referance.

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~*Days Of Our Lives~

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Chapter One: The Day It All Began…

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Vegeta took a deep breath as he paced around the waiting room of Orange Star General Hospital, worried beyond recodnition. He could hear his wife's agonising screams from the Delivery room, piercing his ears like knives. He longed to be with her, to help her through the birthing process, but men were forbidden to stay within the Delivery room..

He sighed deeply and sat down on a thread-born chair, one hand running through thick, ebony black hair.

He was afraid for his wife…and for their unborn child..

Saiyen births were always complicated and more often than not, the mother would die during birth, the strain too much for their hearts to handle. This was no exception. Bulma had been in labour for the past 3 days and throughout the course of that time, Vegeta was not allowed to see her.

He felt a mixture of anger at the doctors, sadness at not being able to witness the birth and fear of something dreadful happening.

This was the birth of his first child and not only was he worried for Bulma and the child, he was also scared at the prospects of becoming a father for the very first time. He had no clue as what he should do and that very thought scared him to the depts of his soul. Across the room, another man leaned against the wall, shaking slightly, his eyes darting to the double doors of the Delivery room every 5 minutes or so. He was a young man, not much younger than Vegeta, who was 27 himself, dressed in orange gi pants and a matching tanktop.

He looked extremly tired, but there was a knowing smiled on his face, shining through.

"Man….this taking forever.."the young man said, glancing up at the ceiling and shaking his head of deep, raven-black spikes.

Vegeta snorted. "Hmmph.. my mate has been in labour for the past 3 days… not being able to see her during that time is a nightmare in the very sense.."

The young man looked up at him, eyes wide. "NANI?! IT TAKES THAT LONG?!"

"Depends on the woman…and the gender of the child, I suppose…" Vegeta said, bowing his head low.

"Maaaan……"the young man sat down beside the Saiyen prince and sighed. "The name's Yamcha… my girlfriend Arailani went into labour 3 hours ago…so far, there's no sign of the kid.."

Vegeta placed his hands behind his head. "Patience is a vertue.."

A long, eerily silent hour passed by….neither man spoke…

..and then..

…that glorious sound….

****

"WAAAAAAIIIII!"

Vegeta and Yamcha both sprung to their feet, eyes widdened in shock. They both looked at each other and grinned. "Congradulations!" they both exclaimed in unison, as they both raced to the Delivery room.

"Mr.Briefs?" came the voice of an elderly nurse, who was holding a small bundle, wrapped in a blue blanket.

An almost giddy smile crossed Vegeta's face as he was handed the newborn child, whimping softly in his arms.

"Congradulations! It's a healthy baby boy!"

Yamcha smiled and glanced down at Vegeta's son. He looked everything like his father in terms of nose, mouth and skin tone. A single curl of lavender hair lay in the centre of his forehead and sapphire blue eyes stared up curiously at the world that lay before them…

"I have a feeling he's gonna be a little Casanova when he gets older!" he laughed, clapping Vegeta on the back.

Vegeta said nothing, but continued to smile as he handed his son over to Bulma, who lay nearby in a hospital bed, looking considerably worn out.

"Mr.Musashi?" the nurse said, sounding somewhat sad.

Yamcha looked up. "How are they?"

The nurse smiled. "Mother and child are doing fine…although Arailani did suffer a minor heart mumur shortly after she gave birth.."

Yamcha gulped. That was'nt a good sign… He followed the nurse around a green screen, where Arailani, a pretty woman with a head of deep crimson hair hanging down her shoulders, lay in bed, cradling a bundle wrapped in pink blankets close to her chest as she fed her child.

"Ara-chan…."Yamcha breathed, sitting down on the bed beside her. His mate looked up, emerald green eyes glinting with materal pride.

"Yamcha, say hello to our daughter…"she whispered, her voice soft and dream-like as she gently moved the folds of blanket, revealing a tiny baby with light tan skin and a head of wispy, crimson hair, which seemed to look somewhat pink in appearance. Emerald green eyes blinked curiously at Yamcha as he rocked his tiny daughter in his arms, smiling proudly.

"She looks just like you, Ara-chan.."

Arailani smiled and flopped back on her pillows, one hand resting over her heart. Her breathing became somewhat laboured and her pulse began to quicken.

"Arailani? What's wrong?" Yamcha questioned, brow furrowing in confusion. The red head smiled weakly at Yamcha.

"It's my time… sorry, dear…. But I have to go…I love you…" she whispered, the life within her slowly slipping away as her heart beated one last time…

"ARA…ARAILANI!!!" Yamcha yelled, eyes wide with terror, unable to regiester his love dead before him.

"What's wrong, Yam-oh…" Vegeta called, from behind the screen, brows furrowed as he saw what had happened. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry.."

Yamcha remained silent, breathing hard. He looked down at his daughter, whimpering in his arms, as if she knew what had happened. The whimpering soon turned into a loud, anguished cry. Yamcha shivered as he cradled his daughter gently in his arms..

"Please… leave me…"

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Yamcha stared through the glass at the rows upon rows of cots, each containing a tiny child. Just in front of him, a cot with pink blankets contained his daughter, sleeping peacefully with her long, black tail wrapped around her waist. In the cot to her right, the Brief's son lay. He was staring curiously at Yamcha's daughter, his sapphire blue eyes wide and curious as he reached out to touch the glass of the cot.

Yamcha smiled at this. He had a feeling the pair were going to be seeing a lot of each other soon..

"Have you named her yet?"

Yamcha looked up, as Bulma joined him by the window looking onto the nursery. 

The raven haired man sighed heavily. "Shastania, after her grandmother on her mother's side of the family…. It was a name Arailani chose for her.."

Bulma placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, smiling weakly. "I'm so sorry, Yamcha…" She glanced at her son in his crib, looking so cute as he tried to touch little Shastania through the glass sides of his cot.

"Aaaah…. I suspect Trunks and your daughter are gonna get along just fine.." Bulma giggled, shaking her head at the sight.

Yamcha smiled weakly. "Yah… I guess so…"

****

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10 years later…….

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The young red head grimaced as she heard the voices carry from downstairs, screaming and yelling profanitys, china smashing against the wall. Every night, it was the same thing. Her father would come home drunk and disorderly and yell at her stepmom about this and that, occasionally beating her untill she was black and blue.

The 10 year old could'nt stand it any longer. She wanted so much to go visit Trunks, but if her father caught her out of bed at this hour….

Shasta shuddered at the memory… she still bore the scars, still fresh and stingy from were the belt buckle had struck her…

….but she could'nt take all the yelling any more..

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the double doors leading out onto the balcony. The night air felt good against her lightly tanned skin, her magenta pink hair blowing behind her as she powered up enough for a white aura to surround her body.

She took to the air, not looking back as she left the dingy apartment block behind her. She flew onwards to the east, not stopping untill she reached the windowsill of Trunks' bedroom, located on the 4th floor of the enormous Capsule Corp manor.

She sat down near the window and tapped twice, waiting for Trunks to answer.

The window slid open silently, a bed-ridden Trunks poking his head out, yawning loudly. He noticed Shasta crouching on the windowsill and his expression turned to that of supprise.

"Shas-chan! What are you doing here so late?"

It was then he noticed the tears falling from her eyes, glazed over by years of abuse. She looked up at him, unable to speak.

Trunks took her hand and helped her into his room.

"What's wrong, Shasta?" he asked her as she sat on his bed, knees brought to her chest, shivering from the tears she supressed. The lavender haired boy sat down beside her, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders

He felt her shoulder's heave as she tried to hide her tears.

"Daddy's drunk again… Trunks, I can't take all this yellin' any more… can I please stay here? I don't wanna go back home.." she whimpered, looking at him pleadingly. Trunks smiled and hugged her close, rocking her gently as she buried her head in his chest, sobbing quietly.

"Hey, don't cry… ssh.. it's gonna be alright, Shas-chan…"he cooed, trying to calm her down as best as he could.

Eventually, she had cried herself to sleep in his arms, her head resting on his chest, the occasional sniffle resounding from her nose.

Trunks moved her gently and lay her down on his bed, before climbing in beside her. He pulled the sheets up to their necks and smiled weakly at her.

"Trunks…."Shasta mumured, eyes half-open as she looked up at him with wonder.

"Mmm?"

"Uh…..g..goodnight…" Shasta said timidly, a faint blush rising on her face as she settled back down to sleep, her head resting comfortably on his chest, one of his arms snaked around her waist…

For the reminder of the night, they slept peacefully in each other's arms….

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Morning sunlight poured in through the bedroom window, casting a warm glow on the faces of the two 10 year olds, lying side by side in bed, sleeping peacefully. Trunks mumbled something incoharent in his sleep and absently rested his arm across Shasta's neck, which in turn, caused her to jolt awake, gasping for breath.

"Trunks…ya….chokin'…meeee!!" she croaked, elbowing the lavender haired boy sharply in the ribs. A soft moan of protest sounded from his lips and he slowly rolled over onto his back, his eyes flickering open. He yawned loudly and sat up, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted to the bright morning light flooding in from the nearby window.

"Huzzah?" he mumbled, failing to stiffle a loud yawn. Shasta shook her head and sat up beside him. "Hey, thanks for lettin' me stay here….I had no-where else to go.."

Trunks smiled shyly at her, still not quite awake. "Hey, no problemo…you're always welcome here." He replied, stretching his muscles before dragging himself out of bed. No sooner had he done this when the bedroom door swung open on it's hindges. Vegeta stepped into the room, his arms folded over his chest.

Trunks' eyes widdened. "Daaa-aaaad! I thought I told ya to knock first! I coulda been naked or somethin'!" he yelled, earning a giggle from Shasta.

Vegeta turned to see her and raised his eyebrows in supprise.

"Shasta….what are you doing here?"

The red-head smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Papa an' Step-momma were fightin' again……I could'nt take it any more so I came here to escape from it all……If it's all right with you, Mr.Vegeta, can I stay here with Trunks? I really don't wanna go back to that place.." she said, her Brooklyn-accented voice barely above a whisper.

Vegeta placed a hand to his chin, thinking it over. 

"Can she stay, Dad? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease? I'll take good care of her! I promise!" Trunks pleaded, his eyes big and puppy-like.

Vegeta shook his head in amusement. "She's not a kitten, boy! Thought, in a sense, she IS half-Nekonian….Anyways, by my standards, it is fine by me if you are to stay here, Ms.Shasta. Should I go tell your step-mother of your where-abouts?"

Shasta's eyes widdened in fear. "No, sir! Don't! If Step-momma finds out I'm housin' up with a boy, she'll skin me alive!"

The Saiyen Prince smiled re-assuringly at the young girl and nodded. "As you wish, but are you quite sure? Surely, you'll be wanting your possessions if you are to be staying here long term?"

The red-head pondered for a moment, before fumbling around in the pockets of the jeans she still wore from the previous night. Pulling out a small box of capsules, she opened it up and inspected them one by one. "Hmmm….I think I've got all I need right here, sir. But thanks for the offer."

Vegeta nodded. "Call me Vegeta, dear…Mr.Vegeta makes me feel like a grumpy old man.."

Trunks laughed. "But you ARE a grumpy old man!"

The raven-haired Saiyen narrowed his eyes at his son. "Watch your tongue, boy, or I'll be nailing it to the wall! Anyway, I've been sent up by your mother to tell you get dressed for school. You'll have time for breakfast if you hurry. Shasta, do you have your school books?"

Shasta glanced at her capsules, looking paniced. "Oh, no! I forgot them!!"

The lavender haired boy smiled at her. "Don't worry. You can share mine. I'm gonna go get dressed so I'll meet you downstairs in the kitchen in about 10 minutes, 'kay?"

The red-head nodded and watched as Trunks raced to his dresser, retrieved his clothes and sped off down the hall towards the bathroom. Vegeta glanced at Shasta, a sad kind of smile on his face.

"Shame….right shame, I tell you.."

The red head looked up, her emerald eyes sparkling with wonder and curiousity. "What's a shame, Vegeta?"

The beefy Saiyen looked up and sighed. "It's a shame that you had to grow up in such a broken home…had I'd known what Yamcha would become, I'd have adopted you myself….but at least now you're safe and sound. Feel free to stay here as long as you wish. I'll tell Cora to prepare one of the guest rooms."

Shasta smiled weakly and hugged her knees to her chest. "Thank you, sir……..um…..who's Cora, by the way?"

Vegeta chuckled. "She's the housemaid. Wonderful woman, wonderful. Been in the service of my family since I was your age. You'll like her, take my word for it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must leave to inform Bulma of your stay. And I'm sure you need to dress yourself. We shall be downstairs if you need us."

And with that, the wise Saiyen prince exited the room, closing the softly behind him…

About 15 minutes later, Shasta had changed into a pale pink dress that came to a stop an inch above her knees, the hem frayed and torn in several places. Grubby black ankle boots adorned her feet and her legs were covered with rainbow striped socks that reached her thighs.

Quickly fixing her magenta-pink hair into a pair of buns either side of her head, she raced downstairs and into the kitchen, where she was joined by Trunks, who had dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a black t-shirt with a picture of a skull and crossbones on the front, Vegeta in his smart buisness suit and Bulma in her long blue skirt and pheasent blouse.

Shasta sat down next to Trunks and helped herself to some breakfast, watching Vegeta read the morning newspaper, brow furrowed in concentration. Although she had only met Vegeta on several rare occasions, she was rather fond of him, the way he was so strict yet gentle and the fact that he never spoke ill of having her over for secret lunch meetings. He was almost like an uncle to her, but she'd never admit it out loud….

The young red-head was happiest when she was with Trunks and his family and she spent as much time as she could at the Capsule Corp. Her own parents, of course, had dissapproved, stating that she was getting involved with 'rich snobs who have more money than they know what to do with'. The Musashi's-with the exception of Shasta, of course- hated everything about the Briefs, from their fabulous mansion and flashy cars to their picture-perfect family.

They were jealous because the Briefs were everything that Mr. and Mrs.Musashi were not: rich, happy and always friendly.

They did'nt appriciate their only daughter getting mixed up with them and on numerous occasions, had they tried to ban Shasta from seeing the only few people who ever truly cared for her well-being and safety.

But Shasta, who's only true friend was Trunks, always defied her parents, sneaking out of the house for hours on end just to hang out with him at his private amusement park, where-of-course-, she had spent some of the best days of her life.

Now, things could only get better as she thought of the prospect of living full-time with these wonderful people…

…..how wrong she was….

****

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The loud bell rang from the school clocktower, signalling the end of the schoolday. Students of all ages filed out of the huge, iron-wroth gates of Satan City Elementry, glad to be finally free from the castle-like building for another glorious weekend. As it always was, Shasta and Trunks walked side by side out of the stone entrance arch, complentating on what to do over the weekend.

"Wanna go to the amusement park? I hear Dad had a new rollercoaster build for me!" Trunks was saying in an excited voice as they both walked to the corner of Main Street. Shasta, who's brain had been mulling over what grades she had received in the end-of-the-week exams, was jolted back to Earth when Trunks waved a hand in her face.

"Hey, are you even listening to a word I've said?" he said, sounding slighty irritated.

"Huh? Oh! Gomen nasi, Trunks-san! I was just thinking about those darn exams we had earlier…"

Trunks laughed and placed a hand reassuringly on his friend's shoulder. "Hey, you're the smartest girl I know, Shas! You'd have passed with flying colours!" The red-head giggled embarrassedly, her cheeks turning as pink as her dress. They walked onwards, passing the various shops and market stalls dotted around the centre of Satan City.

"It's pretty hot today…wanna go get an ice cream sundae-"Trunks started, but was cut short by the sight of a tall, slender male figure standing before him. Shasta's eyes widdened momentarily and a tiny whimper of fear escaped her pale pink lips. She backed away slowly, having been in this situation too many times to count.

"Well, well, well! If it a'int Richy Rich and his freak of a girlfriend!" a crisp, cool voice came from the figure, stepping out of the shadows. His face was deathly pale, as if he had'nt seen proper sunlight for years and he looked around 14 or so.

His cold blue eyes glared menacingly at Shasta, who whimpered and hid behind Trunks. The boy had a head of sandy blonde hair slicked back against his head with more than a generous amount of gel, the look completely unsuitable for his pale complexion.

"Dirtbag Draco…" Trunks said cooly, in an almost bored tone of voice. Two other boys appeared by Draco's side, both huge and gorrilla like in appearance with crew-cut hairdos and matching leather jackets. They glared menacingly at the the two 10 year olds before them, as if daring them to attack.

"The Bruiser Twins…." Shasta croaked, her hand clenching tightly around the fabric of the back of Trunks' shirt. He felt her fear but stood his ground, glaring deep into the eyes of Draco, who's face was twisted into a malicious smirk.

"What's the matter, Freakalina? Afraid the twins might upstage you in a freak show?" Draco sneered, watching as Shasta's face flushed red with anger, her free hand clenching involentarily into a fist.

"She's not a freak!" Trunks yelled, which caused Draco and The Bruiser Twins to direct their attention back at him.

"Then why does it have a tail?"Draco sneered, pointing at the furry,black appendage, wound tightly around the red-head's waist, trembling slightly. Trunks growled low in his throat. It was one thing for himself to be insulted, but for this indignity to be forced upon his best and closest friend was something he possitively loathed.

His hands clenched into fists, his ki energy flaring inside him, hearing the blood pound in his ears.

Draco let out a chuckle laced with a sadistic edge. He shook his head and mock sighed. "You just don't get it, do you, Richie Rich? We don't tolerate freaks among us and seeing that you are constantly in the company of one, you risk being accussed as a freak-loving moron."

"Don't….call….her….a …freak…!!" Trunks snarled through gritted teeth, his ki surging rapidly. His father had always told him never to reveal his strenght to his fellow students, but right now he seriously considered beating Draco and his croonies into a 3 week long coma…

"But that's what it is, Briefs. A stupid, ugly freak of nature." Draco clicked his fingers and the two Brusier Twins advanced on Shasta, who clung tighter to Trunks' shirt. Despite his efforts to stop them without resorting to violence, the lavender haired teen watched helplessly as the largest of the brothers, Martan, grabbed her with such force that she had ripped a chunk clear from Trunks' shirt.

"Do it now!" Draco yelled to the other brother, Glen, who nodded and produced a small dagger from from his jacket pocket, grinning stupidly. Trunks gasped in horror and tried to reach forward, but Draco held his own knife to the lavender haired boy's throat, waving a finger in a scoulding manner.

"No, no,no, Briefs! This is simply a matter between myself and Freakalina."

At that very moment, an agonising scream of the upmost agony pierced the reletively silent street. 

Trunks turned his head so fast in Shasta's direction that he almost broke a vertabrae. His eyes widdened in horror at the sight before him. Shasta was lying on the ground, curled up in a foetal positon, her breaths sharp and raspy, blood oozing from a bloody stump poking out of a hole in her dress at the base of her spine. Right next to her, a long, furry black tail lay on the ground, twitching frantically before suddenly turning limp.

This was the breaking point for Trunks, his anger reaching it's limits. With lightning speed, he reached up and knocked the knife out of Draco's hand before proceeding to kick him so hard in the testicles that it was a miracle they were'nt dangling out of his nostrals.

Draco's scream alerted The Brusier Twins to their attention. Upon seeing what Trunks had done, they tried to attack him with vengance, but instead, received the same fate as their leader. All 3 clutching their privates, they yelled oscenitys and curses as they ran off down the street and out of sight…

Breathing hard, Trunks felt his ki drop back to normal. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Shasta's raspy breathing alerted him to his senses and he quickly rushed to her aid. Kneeling by her side, he was able to see the full extent of her injury. Her tail had been cut clean from her body, leaving only a tiny, 2 inch long stump just at the base of her spine. It had stopped bleeding, but the wound was encrusted with dried blood and by the looks of it, it was highly unlikely that her tail would ever grow back again.

"Shasta…..Shasta…..are you alright?" Trunks whispered soothingly, pulling her into his arms, glancing down at her face for any other signs of injury. Appart from a few small bruises on her left cheek, the only serious injury she had substained had been her tail being severed.

Her eyes were clenched shut and for a moment, Trunks thought she had passed out from the pain, but he was proven wrong when he saw her eyes flicker open, wet with tears that had yet to fall.

"Why….why is it that the whole friggin' world is against me..?!" she gasped, failing to hide the agony in her voice. Trunks slowly rocked her gently in his arms, soothing her as best as he could.

"The whole world's not against you, Shasta-chan…I've stood by you no matter what and today's no exception….c'mon…I'm takin' you back to the house. Mom'll know what to do." He whispered soothingly, hugging her close to his chest as he lifted her up in his arms, taking to the air while white flames surrounded his body.

"T..Trunks…..t..thank you…." Shasta whispers softly to him, a faint smile playing across her lips before the pain became too much for her body to take. With a groan, she passed out, becoming limp in the lavender haired boy's strong arms. He sighed woefully to himself, the hand supporting her shoulders reaching to stroke a strand of hair that had come loose of the buns she wore eariler.

"You're welcome……" he whispered softly, picking up his speed as he raced towards the Capsule Corp. building, intent on getting his best friend the best medical treatment available…

****

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"Boy, why are you home so late from-" Vegeta started, as his son burst through the main door of the manor, looking frantic. Vegeta's eyes widdened at the sight of the unconcious Shasta in his arms and he was about to question what had happened when Trunks spoke first.

"W..where's Mom?" he gasped, breathing hard from running up the spacious front lawn. The raven haired Saiyen prince's face darkened but he said nothing and motioned towards the kitchen. Trunks sped past him like a speeding bullet and yelled at the top of his voice for his mother.

"Oh, for Kami's sake, Trunks! You don't have to ye-SHASTANIA!!!"Bulma cried in alarm, upon exiting the kitchen and seeing the young girl in her son's arms. Taking her gently from Trunks's arms, Bulma raced downstairs to the underground laboritory and rested the girl on a large, steel operating table.

"What in the name of Kami happened?!" Bulma cried, glancing at Trunks, awaiting an explaination.

"Draco McCracken and his croonies ambushed us on the way to the ice cream palour. They did'nt manage to harm me but Shasta…………they….they called her a freak and….aand…."the young boy trailed off, his entire body shaking with pent up rage. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, glancing over at the young girl lying motionless on the operating table.

The blue-haired scientist growled low and shook her head. "Damn that McCracken boy! I always knew he was trouble, the moment I lay eyes on him …and his mother Drucilla…the whole bloody family's a nasty piece of work, I tell you! You stay away from him, Trunks, d'ya hear me?"

Trunks nodded. " 'Goes without saying……..can you do anything to save Shasty's tail?" he added, sounding worried.

Bulma shook her head and adjusted her glasses, peering at the stump portruding from the young girl's spine. " 'Fraid not. Since there's only 2 inches of flesh left, there's not enough flesh molecules for the entire tail to regenerate. I'm afraid the stump will have to be removed. And don't worry..;" she added, seeing the look of concern on her young son's face .

"….The operation won't take any longer than an hour at the least. It would be advisable that you stayed out of the lab for the operation as I don't want you getting in my way. Also, it could be dangerous.."

"D..Dangerous…?!" Trunks gulped, eyes widdening.

Bulma nodded. "Although her Nekonian blood is dominant, her tail was that of a Saiyen's, meaning that even under general anastetic, she's going to feel me cutting the stump off. Goodness, when I had to remove your father's tail…..it took your grandfather, 3 helper robots, Cora and titanium steel shackles to restrain him.." she said, shuddering at the memory.

"B..But Dad was a fully grown Saiyen, right? Shasty's only 10! Since she's only half-Saiyen like me, won't the effects be reduced?" Trunks said, rubbing the back of his head. Bulma smiled proudly at her son.

"Nice to see you've been studying what your father teaches you! There is a fair chance that the effects would be halved, but even so, the risk is still there. That's why I want you out of the lab in the next five minutes. I'm not putting you at risk."

"B…But-"

"Trunks, that's final! Now, please leave the room and go pester your father or something….when the operation's over, I'll let you back in to see her, okay?"

With a sigh, Trunks nodded and decented the steel stairs leading up to the laboritory door. "Well, I guess I'll go pay a visit to Gohan..it's been a while since I've seen him."

Bulma nodded. "Okay then. Be good and be sure to tell Cheech and Goku about their niece's situation, okay? If you're not home after the operation, I'll call you. Now, shoo!"

And with one last, backwards glance at Shasta, the lavender haired 10 year old made his way out of the lab, into the main hall and out the front door, taking to the air as he powered up and flew towards the mountain area were Gohan and his family resided…

****

~*~*~*~*~*~

A cool, gentle evening breeze ruffled Trunks' hair as he landed softly on the tall grass outside the small cottage were The Son family resided. It had been a while since he had seen his old friends, but he was sure to be welcomed with open arms.

Chichi and Goku had long been friends of The Briefs, dating back to when Vegeta and Bulma themselves had been in elementary school. They were also Shasta's blood reletives on her father's side of the family, even though they had only met less that 4 times, what with them disowning Yamcha after he became an alcoholic..

The lavender haired boy raise his hand and knocked twice on the handsome oak door at the front of the igloo-shaped cottage. Several minutes passed before the door swung open on it's hinges and a head of raven black spikey hair poked out, belonging to Goku and Chichi's only son and Shasta's favorite cousin, Gohan.

At 21 years of age, he was 11 years older than Trunks, but was always happy to have him as a friend. His handsome, light tan face was chiseled and well-refined, fixed in an expression of supprise, his chocolate brown eyes widdening at the sight of the younger boy. He smiled weakly at the new visitor and haistily invited him inside, glancing around the forrest surrounding the cottage as if fearful of something jumping out of the foliage.

"What's up, Gohan? Why d'ya look so jumpy?" Trunks queried, following the older Saiyen into the living room. He sat down opposite his father on the sofa and pointed to the tv set in the corner of the room, were a news report was underway.

"See for yourself, Trunks.." Gohan said, sounding worried. The lavender haired boy blinked in confusion and glanced over at the tv.

A bubbly blonde woman with horn-rimmed glasses placed neatly on her nose, was shuffling her papers and looking worried as she read out the latest headline:

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"We interupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you this urgent news bulletin. At precisely 5:34pm this afternoon, a suspected terrorist attack was launched on the capital of Nicky Town. Civillien casualtys have so far reached a total of 4000 dead. As of now, there are no known survivors. The reason behind the attack is as yet unknown, but several media officials who had managed to escape in time have managed to capture footage of the alledged suspects in the terrorist attack." The reporter spoke. 

A large 'WANTED' image of two shady-looking figures filled the screen.

The first, a teenager of around 19 or so, appeared first. He looked particularly menacing with a head of long, tangled black hair that hung loose around his sallow-skinned face, watery blue eyes staring lifelessly out of sunken eye sockets, a sneer pasted across his thin mouth. A grubby orange bandana was tied around his neck over a black shirt, barely visable under a black pvc trenchcoat.

His partner in crime, a shapely female, flashed up next on screen. Her hair was bleach-blonde with several blackened roots showing from her scalp, parted at the side and hanging poker straight to her jaw, several strands tucked behind her right ear, where several silver hoops were set in her ear lobe.

She was dressed in a black pvc trenchcoat over a baby blue tank top, a pair of black wrap around sunglasses sitting on her nose, ice-blue eyes just visable over the rim, sneering at the camera. Her lips were painted tomatoe-red and were curled into a very evil-looking smirk.

The image was then replaced by the blonde reporter again, adjusting her glasses and clasping her hands together on the desk in front of her as she sat before the camera.

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"The allegded suspects, reported to call themselves 'Seventeen' and 'Eighteen', were last seen fleeing the crime scene in a black Cadilac convertible rumored to be stolen. The suspects are armed and extremly dangerous. The chief of police for West Capital City urges "To be on the look-out for any suspisous individials in the area. If you happen to come into contact with the alledged suspects, do NOT attempt to take the law into your own hands. Alert the police department at once and be sure to keep safe in your home."

Our hearts go out to those who died in the tragic attack on the Stock Exchange Corperate Building eariler today. May they rest in peace.

I'm Luna Cleavanger for Z-TV. More news on the situation as it happens."

Gohan flicked off the tv with the remote and stood up, his brow darkened. "How could this happen? All those people……dead for no reason…" he whispered, hands clenching into fists by his side, feeling anger well up inside him. Goku, who had been stony silent for the entire time, stood up and let out a deep sigh, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Gohan, calm down. I don't want you gettin' any ideas. You've been injuried enough by those…those fiends!" he said, expression unreadable. 

Trunks' brow furrowed, glancing up at the elder Saiyen with confusion. "Gohan's been hurt?"

Goku turned to Trunks and nodded, motioning to his son's face, were there was a rather long scar, still encrusted in dried blood, running across his right eye and down his cheek.

The young raven haired Saiyen growled and swatted his father's hand away. "Those people died in vain, Dad! I can't just sit around doing nothing while those maniacs are out there, probably plotting another attack! I HAVE to avenge them! I HAVE to! It's my duty-"

"Enough, Gohan!" Goku said in a strict tone of voice, taking the two younger Saiyens by supprise. His brow furrowed in a scowl.

"I'm not having my only son risking his life out there. We have to wait…to see exactly how dangerous these people are. Untill then, I'm not letting you step so much as a toe out of this house without you telling myself or your mother of your wereabouts, you understand?"

"But Dad-!"

"Don't you you 'But Dad!' me, Son Gohan! That's my word and my word is final! That goes for you, too, Trunks. I don't want you getting yourself killed!"

Trunks nodded, suddenly beginning to feel fearful of Goku's new, stricter side. He gulped and glanced out the window. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon in the distance and it would be a few hours before night fell. The lavender haired demi-Saiyen jumped in alarm, unable to believe how much time had passed since he had first arrived.

He was about to tell Goku that he had to leave when the phone rang, causing everyone to almost jump out of their skin in fright.

Goku's wife, Chichi, entered the room with the wireless phone in her hand, looking slightly irritated. "Trunks, it's your mother on the phone for you!"

The young Saiyen nodded and took the phone from the raven haired woman.

"Trunks!" came his mother's voice on the other end of the line ; "Get your butt home this instant before the sunsets! Shasta's just coming around from the operation. You can see her now.. just get home quick! I don't like the idea of you flying home alone with those lunatics running around but the sooner you're home the better. Be carefull, sweety. Love you!"

And with that, the line went dead.

Trunks sighed and placed the phone back on the hook on the wall. "Well, I guess I better get going. Mom wants me home before dark. It was nice seeing you guys again!"

Chichi smiled down at the young boy, her arms folded over her chest. "As with you! Now, run along you and sent Shastania my love!"

The lavender haired boy nodded and waved farewell before running out onto the front lawn. With one last wave, he powered up and took to the rapidly-darkening sky with the speed of a speeding bullet, heading towards the Capsule corp, all the while planning on how to exact revenge on the two terrorists who had destroyed the Stock Exchange building…

He was going to make them pay……oh yes…..

….slow, burning death to the ones known as 'Seventeen' and 'Eighteen'……

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End Chapter One

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	2. Chapter 2

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~*Days Of Our Lives*~

By Vanilla Twist

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Disclaimer: I own nothing, you hear? NOTH-IIIIIING!!!

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Chapter Two: The Androids Attack

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Emerald green eyes slowly flickered open in the dim light emitting from the bedside lamp. Shasta sat up and rubbed her eyes, glancing around at her surroundings as her blurred vision slowly came into view. She found herself in one of the guest bedrooms in the Capsule Corp manor, dressed in a pale blue night dress. Her back ached painfully at the base of her spine, were her tail once portruded…

Just then, the bedroom door swung open softly on it's hinges and Trunks walked in, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He smiled weakly as he met her gaze and sat down at the edge of the large, queen-sized bed.

"Hey! How ya feeling?" he asked, pulling his knees up to his chest. The red-head simply looked up at him with those big, shiny green eyes of hers and stiffled a sob. A hand reached up to wipe away the tears threatening to fall.

"They cut off my tail, Trunks….how..how do you THINK I feel..?!" she whimpered angerily. The lavender haired boy whinced at her tone of voice but did'nt back away. He leaned in closer and hugged her soothingly.

"They deserve everything they have coming to them." He whispered into her ear, stroking her back gently in an attempt to calm her down. 

Soon, her sobs had dissappeared, replaced by a few whimpers every now and then. Her arms wrapped around Trunks as she rested her head on his shoulder,still sniffling to a degree. Trunks smiled weakly and stroked her hair. "Sssh….don't cry…"he cooed as he felt her shoulders heave with pent up tears.

They sat hugging each other for what felt like an eternity, the only sound in the room coming from Shasta as her breaths came in short, raspy bursts.

"They called me..a…a stupid, ugly freak……" she whimpered, feeling tears trail down her pale cheeks, leaving shiny wet trails down her face.

Trunks slowly took her chin in his thumb and index finger, staring deep into her eyes. "Hey….you're not a freak, Shas…and you sure as heck are'nt stupid! You're the smartest girl I know! And I mean that!"

The cat-girl looked gazed back at him, a tiny smile playing across her face. "Y…you mean that?"

"Of course I do! You're the smartest, prettiest girl I've ever known! Don't let anyone tell you you're not 'cause you are!" Trunks moved his thumb to wipe away a tear trailing down her cheek before moving his hand down to her shoulder.

"That's a fact!"

The red-head smiled up and him and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. "Trunks…I…!" she started, but she quickly abandoned trying to sum up her happiness in words and instead leaned forward, planting a sweet kiss on the lavender haired boy's lips.

Trunks's eyes widdened so much at this simple action that they looked set to pop out of their sockets. His face turned a deep shade of red and sat, mouth slightly open with shock, staring at her as if she'd sprouted an extra head.

Shasta flushed pink and smiled shyly. "T..Thank you, Trunks….for everything."

All the demi-Saiyen could do was stare, wide-eyed at her, nodding his head slowly, having lost the ability to speak. This earned a giggled from the young cat-girl, who waved a hand in front of his face in an attempt to snap him out of his stumpor.

"Do you realise just how silly you look with your mouth hanging open like that?"

Slowly coming to his senses, Trunks closed his mouth, still staring at her. "Y…..you kissed me…!"

"Um…yes…Heh…Relax, Trunks! I have'nt got cooties!"

"I was just kissed…….by a girl….THAT…. IS…. SO….. GROSS!!" Trunks yelled, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand as if some foul subtance was coating his lips. Shasta watched, shaking her head in amusement and muttering something that sounded oddly like "Boys..".

She climbed slowly out of bed, whincing as the ache in her behind intensified.

She glanced back at Trunks-still trying to rid himself of the fact a girl had kissed him-and giggled. "Really….I'm gonna go tell Bulma I feel-" she started, but was cut short by an almighty explosion which made the very foundation of the Capsule Corp shake violently.

"What the..?!" The two 10 year olds yelled in unison, before another explosion, louder this time, caused a small part of the ceiling to come crashing down onto the hard wood floor with a loud bang.

"We gotta get outta here!"Trunks yelled, grabbing Shasta's wrist and running towards the double doors leading onto the balcony. Upon throwing them open, he was greeted by the sight of the surrounding buildings, reduced to no more than huge piles of rubble and debris. The sound of gunfire, screaming and shouting echoed in the approching night and thick, black columns of smoke rose from the numerous buildings and upturned cars on fire.

"What's going on, Trunks?! Why..why is everthing ruined?!" Shasta yelled, but before she could get an answer, Trunks had picked her up in his arms and taken flight from the balcony. No sooner had they gotten a few metres away did the Capsule Corp crumble to dust before their very eyes.

"NO!! MOM! DAD!!" Trunks screamed, racing towards the rubble, but as he did so, a strong hand grasped the back of his shirt, almost wrenching it off his body. The lavender haired boy turned around and gasped in relief.

"Boy! Get out of here! Those terrorists from TV are attacking the town! I can't risk getting you caught up in this! Take Shasta and get out of the city!" Vegeta yelled, his free hand firing a number of amber ki bombs down at the ground, causing a few minor explosions.

"Mom..is she alright?!" Trunks yelled.

"She's fine, now get the hell out of here!! It's not safe, do you hear me?!" Vegeta yelled, flying down to the ground and landing roughly on the dented pavement. 

"GALI-I-I-I-CK CANNON!!" he yelled, firing a beam of purple light at a black-haired teenager Trunks recodnized as Seventeen.

He yelled out to his father, but Shasta tugged on the front of his shirt and brought him to his senses. Rocketing through the air, he did not cease his speed untill he had reached the safety of the forrest on the outskirts of the city. Standing at the edge of a tall cliff-face, he was able to see the chaos as it happened.

Innocent bystanders screamed in terror as they ran for cover, a blonde woman in a black trenchcoat, driving a stolen Cadalac shooting into the crowds with an AK-47. Cars blew up and buildings were reduced to rubble as Vegeta, Goku, Yamcha and several others Trunks did'nt recodnize, battled against the two terrorists.

Both sides were putting up a tough fight, but it was obvious that the terrorists had the upperhand as they fired round after round of ammo and ki balls, landed kick after kick and laughed sadistically as everyone around them perished.

"Oh no…GOHAN!!" Shasta screamed, clamping a hand to her mouth in shock as she watched Gohan, sword gripped tightly in his hands, as he flew towards Eighteen, screaming in a blind fury.

Trunks watched in horror as one by one, the Z-fighters were defeated, falling to the ground dead or mortally wounded. He watched, blood running cold with terror, as all his friends, his family..were slaughtered before his very eyes. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, seeing his father falling to the ground, his eyes dead and lifeless, dead from a gapping hole in his stomach that was oozing blood..

Shasta felt Trunks' fear too, as she watched her uncle reduced to nothing more than ash as an enormous crimson ki ball fired by Seventeen incinerated his entire body, a blood-curdling scream echoing in the night. Soon, the only one left was Gohan….their last hope.

Seventeen flew at the raven-haired half-Saiyen, intent on having him suffer the same fate as his father. The battle was intense, punches and kicks throw wildly at each other, tearing each other limb from limb. It was getting hard to see the fight, the competitors having taken the fight deep into the city, the high walls blocking the children's view of what was happening…….but perhaps it was best if they did'nt see what was happening…

A horrid, crimson flash of light came from deep inside the city walls, lighting up the sky as the light formed a tall beam, piercing the clouds like a crimson spear of evil ki energy…

….and then….

….silence….

…..eerie, un-nerving silence…

The two Saiyen children glanced at each other, both too frightened to speak. They glanced down at the gates to the city, seeing the two terrorists power up and take to the night skys, laughing heartily as they disappeared into the inky black of night…

A soft drizzle of rain began to fall from the heavens, pattering softly on the cold, hard ground. Shasta and Trunks slowly walked down to the city entrance, too shocked, frightened and numb to even look at each other. They walked on for what felt like hours, deep into the heart of the now completly deserted city. It was so quiet….so…..eerie…

..like a ghost town..

All around them, destruction was to be seen. Many little fires dotted the streets and buildings, cars were lying upturned and smashed, broken glass littered the streets and entire housing estates were nothing more than piles of broken brick and twisted iron bars.

"G….Gohan?" Trunks called out, his voice hoarse and small, laced with fear. Shasta glanced around the street, were innumerable bodys lay still and motionless, face down on the ruined tarmac.

"Papa..? Uncle Goku? Anybody?!" she cried, her voice echoing around the desolate city. Not even a rat moved in the streets, the silent so thick it could've been cut with a knife. There seemed to be no sign of life, but still they walked onwards, hoping, praying that someone might still be alive…

The rain grew heavier still, plastering their hair to their heads as they climbed over rubble and ruined cars, searching for their loved ones….

"G…GOHAN!!!" Trunks cried out, almost causing his red-haired companion to jump out of her skin. She turned to were Trunks was standing and clamped a hand to her mouth in shock. Gohan -sweet, gentle Gohan- lay in a pool of his own blood, impailed on his own sword, eyes still wide with the terror he had faced in his final moments. A strangled sob escaped the young girl's throat as she sunk to her knees, her heart torn in two.

Trunks turned numb, his body cold with fear… he crouched down by the body of his fallen friend and held him in his arms, as if praying it was'nt Gohan….but there was no denying it….Gohan was dead, killed by a pair of cold blooded murderers…

Raw anger like Trunks had never known surged through his veins, his blood boiling inside his body. His vision blurred before him, his ears pounding as his blood coursed around his body. He felt tears sting at his eyes, his hands clenching into fists by his sides, so tightly were they clenched that crimson blood flowed from his palms. An anguished scream escaped his throat, his hair standing on end in long spikes attop his head. A golden aura surrounded his entire body, his ki increasing rapidly as his hair turned from soft lavender to golden blonde.

He fell to the ground, pounding his fists into the tarmac with such force that huge clouds of dust rose up in the air.

"T..Trunks…..?!" he heard Shasta croak, fear in her voice. Breathing heavily, he turned to face her, vision slowly coming into focus. She was on her knees next to Gohan's lifeless corpse, her eyes wide and shiny with tears, staring up at him with shock.

Trunks felt his ki slowly drop back to normal, his hair flopping back down in his face, returned to it's original lavender. He let out a whimper of grief and crawled towards her, slowly wrapping his arms around her in a needy hug, buring his head in her shoulder.

The rain lashed down painfully now and they both knew they could'nt stay out in the open for long, but having witnessed Gohan's lifeless body, both were too grief stricken to leave his body.

They stayed in a tight hug for what felt like an eternity, getting soaked to the bone in the rain. A distent sound of police sirens alerted Shasta to her senses. She looked up from were her head had been resting on Trunks' shoulder and saw, through the cold veil of rain, a lone police car heading in their direction.

"T..Trunksies….l..look.."she whispered, voice shaking half from the cold, half from grief. The lavender haired teen looked up and glanced at what she was staring at. Soon, a large police car had pulled up at the ruined kerb. The driver's door swung open and a tall, strapping young policeman with a thick Mario-like mustache stepped out, holding an umbrella above his head.

"Kids! What in the name of Kami are you doing out here in the rain?! You'll catch your death!" the policeman exclaimed, opening the back passenger door and pulling out several large blankets. He wrapped them around both of the children and ushered them into the car.

Shasta curled up on the back seat, snuggling under the blankets next to Trunks. "They're gone…..my family……all gone…" she whispered softly, fresh tears trickling down her cheeks. Trunks held her close to him, his chin resting on the top of her soaking wet head. As much as he felt like crying, he found that could'nt.

He could shed no more tears, his body having turned numb at the thought that everyone he loved….everyone he held close to his heart….had perished..

The policeman stared at them through the rear-view mirror, a pained smile on his pale face. "I know just how you two feel….my wife and kids were'nt so lucky……….I tell ya, when I find the…the….MONSTERS who did this, I'll make sure they suffer…"he whispered, his hands shaking as they grasped the steering wheel, driving out of the city and towards the road leading through the forrest.

"W…where are we going?" Trunks said weakly, his eyes tired and red from the crying he had done earlier.

"You two don't worry about that right now…the both o' ya have had a tramatic night….get some sleep. You'll need it." The policeman said, shaking his head. Feeling too exausted to ask any more questions, the lavender haired demi-Saiyen leaned against the soft black leather seat -Shasta already fast asleep with her head resting on his chest-and closed his eyes shut.

But sleep would'nt come. Each time he closed his eyes, he saw each and every one of his friends and family killed before his very eyes, like a horrible movie replayed over and over again in his subconcious mind. Sighing woefully, he opened his eyes and watched the scenary rush past the rain-soaked window. The rows and rows of trees were soon replaced by wide open plains, and upon glancing through the windscreen, Trunks could see the enterance to Hope City draw closer. The police car ambled up the dark street, passing few people on the sidewalk.

A thick mist floated through the air, adding to the morbid, eerie atomosphere of the night.

The police car soon came to a stop outside a large, dusty building made of faded red brick that was at least 6 storeys high. Trunks gently shook Shasta awake as the policeman got out of the car and pulled open the passenger door.

They both walked animatedly out of the car and followed the policeman up the steps to the enterance. It was so quiet inside the dimly-lit hallway, their footsteps echoing along the marbled floor.

"T..Trunks…. I know what this place is…." Shasta whispered softly, pulling her blanket tightly around herself. The lavender haired demi-Saiyen turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "Hmm?"

"T…this is the Hope City Orphanage…" she whispered, a pained expression on her face as the reality of it all finally sunk in. They were both orphanned, their parents having being killed in battle, leaving their futures undecided….

"Ya right about that, Miss. 'fraid this is where you'll be staying for the time being. If only I could to something to bring back those we've lost……but I'm not a miracle worker..I'm just a police officer. This were I take my leave. The receptionist down the corner will give you a room for the night. In the morning, we'll see what's to become of you. I bid you goodnight, young sir, Miss."

And with that, the policeman turned on his heals and exited the double oak doors, disappearing out of sight.

Both staring at each other, the two children stood in silence, the only sounds being the thunder crashing outside in the storm and their own shallow breathing. After what felt like an eternity of silence, Trunks finally spoke.

"….What now..?"

His companion sighed and shook her head, glancing down the hallway. "I don't know anymore, Trunks…. I..I just don't know……………..c'mon, let's go get a room for the night. We both need sleep, just like that cop said.."

She took his hand and walked slowly down the hallway, her bare feet not making a sound on the cold marble floor. They both reached the receptionist desk, were a tall, elderly woman with bone-white hair and thick glasses looked them over, a darkened expression on her wrinkled face.

"Such a shame t' see kids as young as you wander in here on a night like this…jus' don't make my job any easier…"she sighed, scribbling something on a clipboard. Trunks and Shasta remained silent, wondering what was to happen next…

"There's only th' one room left, up on the 6th floor. You can't miss it, really. Jus' take the elevator to th' top floor, turn right and go through th' first blue door you see. I'll see what is t' become of yeh in th' mornin'…sleep tight an' let th' good spirits guard yer sleep." Said the elderly lady, nodding solumnly to the pair.

Trunks uttered a thank you and walked alongside the cat-girl to the elevator. Once at the top-most floor, he followed the directions he'd been given and walked into a small room dimly lit by several candles burning in lanterns mounted on the wall. A large makeshift bed lay in the centre of the room, worn and thread-bare, covered by a few thin blankets. The only other furniture in the room was a chest of drawers, a vanity table and a large wardrobe.

It was'nt much, but it was enough. 

Shasta yawned loudly and climbed into the bed, already fast asleep by the time her head hit the thin pillow on the left side of the bed. Trunks followed her in and tried to get to sleep, but he could'nt help stay awake. His sub-concious would not allow him to sleep…plaguing his dreams with the visions of death…….seeing a hole blown through his father's stomach before his very eyes….hearing the screams of the crowds as Eighteen shot at them with her AK-47…. Or smelling the foul stench of death everywhere he turned. 

No 10 year old should ever have to see what he saw, Trunks though to himself as he lay on his back, arms folded behind his head. He turned his head to his left, watching Shasta's face contort in pain as she slept, her hands gripping her blankets tightly.

He could hear her whimpering, crying out for the chaos to end….she was reliving it all in her dreams…the images of hours gone by perminantly etched in her mind. Trunks' heart went out to her. He may have been shattered by this recent turn of events, but it was nothing to what his childhood friend felt.

She was not as strong as him, fearful of the world around her, having grown up in a home were abuse was hurled at her every waking day. Even though she felt resentment towards her parents, she still felt something towards her father and step-mother, even if they did'nt love her in return, and witnessing their deaths had been a tramatic experience for her. She had witness the demise of everyone she'd ever loved and held dear to her heart….her father….her uncle…..and her beloved cousin Gohan.

All she had left was Trunks, the boy she shared her birthday and countless others with.

And she was all Trunks had left in return. They were now alone together, depending on each other to make it through this mess..

They needed each other, both in body and in mind…..but a nagging voice in the back of Trunks' head wondered….

….would she blame him for obeying his father and staying out of the battle field? Would she blame him for not saving her family? So many horrid thoughts ran through Trunks' head that night and it was only untill the sun had begun to rise did he finally settle into a fitfull, nightmare-plagued sleep…..

****

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Sapphire blue eyes slowly flickered open, squinting against the rays of golden sunlight shining in the young boy's face. With a groan, Trunks sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, yawned and stretched his aching muscles. He glanced to his left, were Shasta lay, still fast asleep with a pained expression on her face. A weak smile crossed Trunks' mouth as he brushed a strand of hair from her face, his fingertips barely grazing her forehead.

Her eyes fluttered open, sad green eyes staring up at him curiously. "…..Was it…all a dream..?" she whispered, staring deep into his eyes.

Trunks sighed and shook his head, his heart growing heavy with grief. "I wish it was……."

The red-head sighed and sat up in bed, pulling her knees to her chest. She starred down absently at her knee-caps, remaining completely silent. From the grimy window at the far end of the room, the dull grey sky could clearly be seen. It looked set to rain again, as thunder crashed faintly in the distance, the air thick with a ghost-like fog. Shasta slowly turned to face Trunks, her eyes foggy and sad.

"Guess it's just you an' me, Trunksies…"she whispered, directing her attention back to her knees again as the onsought of tears stung at her eyes. She urged herself not to cry and clenched her eyes shut.

"Yeah…..I suppose.." Trunks whispered, placing an arm around her shoulder. She sighed and leaning against his shoulder. 

"Trunks….promise me one thing, okay?" she said, raising her head to look at him. The lavender haired boy nodded slowly, positioning himself so that he was sitting crosslegged on the bed beside her.

"Promise me that no matter what happens, we'll always be friends, okay?" she said, folding her arms over her chest. Trunks smiled and nodded, extending his left pinkie.

"I promise." He whispered, as she curled her own pinkie around his, sealing the deal.

The bedroom door creaked open softly, the sound of footsteps reverberating around the room. The elderly lady who had given the two 10 year olds a room for the night walked through the door, her tweed skirt swaying with her movement. She adjusted her horn-rimmed specticles and smiled weakly.

"I see you're both awake. Breakfast is ready if you feel hungery."

The two demi-Saiyen's stomachs growled in longing. It felt like an eternity since they last ate… climbing out of bed, they both followed the elderly lady-who was known as Mrs.Jenkins- down to the first floor were there was a large cafeteria furnished with long picnic tables, a dozen young boys and girls seated at them, eating from bowls of chicken noodle soup.

Mrs.Jenkins guided the pair to a free table and disappeared into a door on the right marked 'KITCHEN', soon returning with two bowls of noodle soup. Poking absently at the noodles in her bowl, Shasta let out a sigh and held her head in her hands.

"Trunks.. I'm getting a really bad feeling…..something bad's gonna happen.. I can feel it.." she whispered, brow furrowed in confusion. The lavender haired teen looked up at her with his sapphire eyes and sighed.

"I..It's natural to feel like that after what happened yesterday..it's your nerves, Shas.."

The red-head gulped and starred into the bowl before her. "Maybe..maybe not… but this feeling of dread jus' won't lift…"

****

The day slowly slipped into night and the two Saiyen children were dreading the idea of having to spend another night in this depressing place. They both sat on the dusty old couches in the reception area, not wanting to be confined to their room. Trunks lay on his back, absently counting the cracks in the ceiling, Shasta sitting with her knees to her chest on the floor beside him.

They sat in silence, listening to the rain patter on the roof top, watching clear streams of water trickle slowly down the window pane.

Shasta suddenly shuddered involentarily, goosebumps rising up on her fleash.

"Hmm? Shas, what is it?" Trunks questioned, turning his head towards her. She shook her head and raced a hand to massage her temple.

"Weird….I saw a man in an over coat…..he…was leading you down a corridor….I think it was a vision.."

"A vison? You mean like all that John Edward psychic crap?" the lavender haired boy queried, arching an eyebrow as he sat upright on the couch, staring curiously at her. She was about to retort when the sound of footsteps nearby brought them to their senses.

Mrs.Jenkins, accompanied by a tall, thin man in his early 40's wearing a long, grey trenchcoat, walked into the room and motioned to Trunks, speaking animatedly with the strange man, who was wiping his thick glasses with a fist full of his coat.

"….Here he is, Mr.Matherson. Well-behaved , mild-mannered boy he is. He'll make a perfect son for you!" Mrs.Jenkins was saying, scribbling on her clipboard. The thin, bony-looking man known as Mr.Matherson raised one hand casually.

"Please, Matilda! Call me Jack!" he said, in a voice much younger than himself. He smiled shyly at the young boy before him, placing his glasses once more on the bridge of his nose.

Trunks glanced warily at the newcomer.

He was tall and frail, his cheekbones portruding from a handsome, pale face that was covering in premature age lines. Chestnut brown hair fell loose to his ears in untidy, flatted spikes and gentle grey eyes were enlarged 10 fold by the thick, magnifying glasse-like specticles on his nose.Under his trenchcoat, he wore a black t-shirt under a red woodcutter's shirt and a pair of ripped jeans that hung loose on his bony hips.

A laptop was held under one arm and he had all the makings of a man obsessed with science fiction.

"Trunks, this is Jack Matherson. He's requested to adopt you.." Mrs.Jenkins started. Trunks' eyes went wide.

"WHAT?! ADOPTED?!?!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. Jack laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, casting a wary glance at Mrs.Jenkins. He let out a sigh and kneeled in front of the boy so that they were face to face.

"I know this is hard for you, having just ….just lost your folks…but I'm here to give you a new start in life if you'll let me.."

"NO! I'm not going! Not without Shasta!" Trunks yelled, gripping his companion's wrist tightly. She looked fearfully up at him with her deep green eyes, then cast a glance at Jack and the elderly orphanage manager.

"Please…..Trunks is all I have left..don't take him away from me.."she whispered.

"Now, now, dearie! Don't worry! You'll still see each other again! This man only wants to provide for the boy!" Mrs.Jenkins said soothingly, placing a hand on the young girl's shoulder. Shasta whimpered and shrugged her hand off, hugging Trunks tightly, clinging onto him as if her very life depended on it.

"No! I'm not letting you take him away! I've lost too much! You can't take him! YOU CAN'T!!" she cried, feeling tears sting at her face. Trunks held her close, casting an ugly look at Mrs.Jenkins and Jack, who both recoiled slightly.

"You'll still see her, Trunks. I'm sure nothing will come between you two!"Mr.Jenkins chirped rubbing her hands together. With unnatural strenght for a woman of her age, she yanked Shasta away from the lavender haired demi-Saiyen, who in turn, was lead towards the door by Jack.

"NO! TRUNKS!!" she screamed, reaching out her hands towards him as Trunks did the same. 

"Please! Don't leave me!!"Shasta screamed as she watched her only friend being hawled off to a strange new world, not knowing that that would be the last time the two would ever see each other again…..

****

~*~*~*~*~*~

End Chapter Two

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	3. Chapter 3

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~*Days Of Our Lives*~

By Shasta

~*~*~*~

__

Disclaimer: I a'int sayin' nuthin'!

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7 Years Later……

~*~*~

A loud moan came from underneath the mass of blankets, a tanned hand reaching out to slap the alarm clock on the nightstand with such force that it smashed into a thousand tiny pieces.

"Shit…" came a grainy voice from beneath the covers. The owner soon emerged, short lavender hair bed-tangled and hanging in sapphire blue eyes. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before swinging long legs over the edge of the lumpy matterass. Getting up, he walked to the ajoining bathroom to take a quick shower. Once cleansed of impuritys, he attempted to tame his hair by running a large brush through the soft lavender locks. Despite his best efforts, several strands stuck up of their own accord, as if defiying the laws of gravity…

Sighing heavily, he glanced at himself in the mirrored door of the medicine cabnet. A tanned face stared back at him, cheekbones prominent and eyes gazing out of sunken sockets. Blowing a stray strand of hair from his timeless blue eyes, he rested his hands on the wash basin and closed his eyes.

"Well, Trunks… it's your first day of senior high….let's hope you survive.."he said woefully to himself, as he lathered shaving cream onto his chin.

Once clean shaven, he returned to his bedroom and salvaged some clothes from his dresser-which was half buried under a pile of junk- before quickly dressing.

Brushing the creases from his ripped jeans and "Nine Inch Nails" t-shirt, he pulled on his boots before grabbing his denium jacket and schoolbag, racing downstairs to the kitchen. He ate a hurried breakfast, said goodbye to his foster parents and only just managed to catch the bus in time.

Seating himself down at the very back of the bus, he rested his arm on the window ledge and peered out of the glasse, watching the scenery rush past.

It had been 7 years since that faithfull night in the orphanage and since then, he had grown into a fine young man. Now aged 17, he was due to attend his first day at Satan City High. Shortly after the androids had been arrested, the Matherson family (who had adopted him) moved out to the newly-rebuilt city to start a new life. He had'nt seen Shasta in 7 long, painfull years but he kept his promise….he would never forget her.

He only hoped the same could be held true for him…

The bus screetched to a halt outside a handsome stone building, at least 5 storeys high and covered in dark green ivy. For a fleeting moment, he was reminded of the twinkling green of his friend's eyes, but the thought was soon dashed by the sounds of students piling off the bus, heading up the great stone steps towards the high school. Trunks gulped and picked up his schoolbag-covered in patchs and safety pins- before stepping off the ramp and hearing the bus doors close behind him.

He walked up the high stone steps, passing dozens of fellow students along the way. Once inside, he glanced down at the note in his hand, telling him his locker number and class timetable. Walking along the corridors, he soon found his locker and pulled it open. Frowning at the emptiness, his first thought was to cover it in band stickers. He pulled open his bag and glanced at his timetable. Placing the books he did'nt need inside, he shut his locker and replaced the steel padlock, heading back down the hall towards his first lesson of the day….

….Math….

The sound of students chatting excitedly about what they got up to that summer filled Trunks' ears as he made his way to a free seat at the front row. Glancing around, he felt suddenly like he was the only one of his kind. There seemed to be nobody who looked as if they shared a remote shred of interest in rock music in the room. All around him stood cheerleaders and jocks, two crowds the lavender haired teen certainly did not want to mingle with, having heard tall tales about the jocks and cheerleaders being the most evil of all social classes….

With a sigh, Trunks pulled open his graffiti-covered notebook and produced a pencil, scribbling a few doodles on the inside cover. The bell rang and everyone quickly scrambled to their seats as the teacher walked into the room. She was a tall, thin woman with a head of greying black hair and dark brown eyes peering out behind a pair of thin-rimmed glasses, her bony figure dressed in a pale blue sun dress.

She cleared her throat and was just about to speak when there came a knock on the door. Several students-Trunks included-looked up to see who the visitor was. The teacher gave a loud sigh of annoyance and yanked open the door.

"Sorry I'm late! My hair just was'nt agreeing with me at all this mornin'!" came a rich, husky voice from the door frame, as it's owner stepped into the room. 

She was tall with an incredibly toned body, her curves in all the right places. Long, slender legs were visable from under a black-and-white checked mini-skirt, black leather knee-high boots covering her calves and knees. Moving upwards, her upper torso was practically poured into a black shirt with the slogan "My Barbie Is A Crack Whore" written across the front in lurid pink letters. Several spiked and studded bands covered her wrists, black nails glistening from her fingers.

Her face was soft and well-deffined, eyebrows perfectly shaped, arching slightly in the centre as she raised them in embarrassment. Dark blue eyeshader dusted her eyelids, under which sparkling emerald green eyes shone, wide with confusion. Full, pouting lips were painted a deep crimson, but no-where near as red as her hair. Hopelessly spikey with a section towards the front that stuck up lopsiddedly, her hair showed clearly that she was part Saiyen. NO-ONE could have hair that spikey without help from styling products…that's for sure…

"MISS Tarentino! The bell rang for this class 5 minutes ago! If you care more about that lurid hair of yours than you do about turning up on time, then maybe you should just stop coming to this class altogther!" the teacher yelled, her left eye twitching under her specticles.

A gulp escaped the girl's mouth as she nodded curtly. "R..Right! Sorry, Ms.O' Malley! Won't happen again!"

"See that is does'nt, Miss Tarentino. Please be seated so that the class can begin." The teacher growled, hands on her hips as she glared at the red-head. The girl nodded and raced to occupy the desk to Trunks' left. The lavender haired teen cast a sideways glance at her. She looked strangely familiar…..she could be..? No…she could'nt be Shasta…she was dressed so unlike her…

But a nagging voice in the back of his head seemed to wonder….

"Ahem! Class, we have a new student in our midst today. Mr.Trunks Matherson, could you please stand up?" Ms.O' Malley said, in a sugary sweet voice that was a startling contrast to her scoulding tone before.

Trunks felt dozens of eyes upon him as he slowly rose from his desk.He laughed sheepishly, pushing his short, lavender hair out of his eyes.

"Um…h..hello.." he stammered, blinking several times. Ms.O' Malley seemed to grin like a Chesire cat as she glanced at him from behind her glasses.

"Nice to meet you, Trunks. Care to tell the class a little about yourself?"

Trunks turned pink and rubbed the back of his head. "Uuuuh……Well, my name's Trunks….I'm 18 in 2 weeks and uh…..I live in the west side of Satan City with my foster parents…."he stammered, feeling a mad urge to crawl into a hole and wait for death's icy breath…

Ms.O' Malley motioned for him to sit down before instructing the class to turn open their textbooks to page 12. 

"So, 'Tania…waddia think of the newbie? Pretty cuuute, huh?"whispered a blonde girl sitting next to the red-head. Trunks turned scarlet and buried his head in the textbook, busying himself with trying to figure out what the square root of 367 was..

"I guess so….but he's not really my type, Alicia…"the red-head spoke, her voice shy and slightly embarrassed. The blonde, Alicia, giggled into her hand and petted 'Tania's shoulder, shaking her head.

"C'mon, girl! Ask him out…before I do! Damn, is he fiiiine…"

"Alicia…..please! I'm tryna study…..besides, I'm already goin' steady with Marshall Clearwater…."

Tania was cut off by the sound of a ruler being slammed down on a wooden desk, courtesy of Ms.O' Malley, who was looking somewhat irritated. She adjusted her glasses and folded her arms.

"Miss Tarintino, Miss Calden! I am TRYING to teach a maths class! If you cannot keep your little sexual escapades to yourselves, then you know where the door is!"

Alicia squealed and muttered an apolodgy, quickly flicking her textbook open. Trunks shook his head, surpressing a chuckle. The sound of a chair being pulled back made him turn to his left, seeing Tania raise from her seat, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"And just WHERE do you think YOU'RE going, Miss Tarentino?" Ms. O' Malley sneered, as Tania walked passed her towards the door. She had one hand on the handle when she stopped and turned around.

Folding her arms over her chest, the red-head stepped towards the teacher untill they were face to face. "I got two words for you, you psychotic whore….BITE ME." Tania growled before turning on the heels of her boots and storming out of the classroom, leaving Ms. O' Malley to stand, aghast, with her mouth hanging open.

A great rush of conversion buzzed through the once relatively quiet classroom, students talking excited about what just happened.

Despite her best efforts, the elderly woman could'nt recompose herself enough to calm the class and instead, sighing in defeat, dismissed the class early. Students were practically falling over themselves to get out, wanting to chat to the first girl who had ever stood up to the evil old hag.

Trunks walked along the packed hallways, bumping into several students untill he finally reached the hallway leading to the library. Figuring that he had a free class afterwards, he might as well check out the library, he was about to pull open the door when a sudden sound made him stop.

He could hear loud banging, laced with angery swearing just down the hall. Glancing down towards the doors leading to the gym, he saw Tania punching her locker door and cussing worse than any sailor.

"Evil old bitch! I'm not gonna take this bullshit any more!" she was yelling, finally ceasing her punches to turn her back to her locker, leaning against it as she clutched her left hand, which was oozing blood.

Feeling as though he should go help her, Trunks found himself walking animatedly down the hall. He came to a stop 2 lockers away from her, seeing tears beginning to form in her eyes as her hand throbbed with pain.

Tania glanced towards him and haistily wiped her eyes, smuging her mascara slightly. "Come here to rub it in? say I got a death wish for defyin' O' Malley? Go ahead.. let's hear it.."she spat, whincing in pain.

"Actually, I was gonna ask if you were alright….your hand's bleeding….I..I was concerned." Trunks stated, rubbing the back of his head. He saw Tania's expression lighten, her face turning to that of extreme embarrassment.

"Gomen nasi! I'm sorry…It's just….Ugh…."she said, staring down at the crimson fluid oozing from her hand.

"That'll get infected if you don't get it treated soon. C'mon….which way to the nurses office?" Trunks asked, but was cut short by Tania staring at him, her brow furrowed in curiousity.

"I'm sorry…but….do I know you?"

The lavender haired teen cocked his head to one side. "Maybe….you DO look kinda familiar…I know it's not my place to ask but…..is your full first name Shastania?"

The red-head's eyes widdened in supprise. "How did you…….wait………………TRUNKS?!?"

Trunks nodded, a smile gracing his face. "It's been a long time.."

"Seven years! Seven ye-Oh, it's been too long!"

"Yeah…we have a lotta catching up to do….but right now, lets get you to the nurses office, okay?"

****

~*~*~*~

"I just can't believe it! You..you look so much different from the sweet little ten year old grew up with…yet….you're the same!" Shasta whispered, several minutes later, in the library. Trunks smiled at her from across the table they were sitting at, glancing down at the cast on her hand which held her broken fingers in place.

"Mmm…..same to you…I did'nt recodnize you for a moment.."he said, propping his head on his hand as his arm leaned on the table. The red-head smiled weakly and sighed contently.

"So, what ya been up to since the last time I saw you?"

Trunks shrugged his shoulders casually. "Well…I was adopted by this nice little family who lived on the outskirts of the city. My foster father's a rocket scientist and my foster mother, she's a nurse at the local hospital. After the androids mysteriously disappeared, we moved over to the west side of the city cause it's closer to the school. It's a nice place, really…close to the beach..I've got a little sister named Mia too."

"Aaaw. Nice to know you were'nt lonely growing up.." Shasta said, taking a gulp from her coffee mug. Trunks nodded and smiled.

"Mmm..and you? How's life been?"

"Never better. I was taken in by this rich family who own that big ol' software company..waddiacallit….erm…..TechniCorp! That's it! Ya, I got 'dopted by them. I don't really see much of my foster folks 'cuz they work full-time but they're pretty bossy when they are around. I got everything handed to me on a silver plater, but I was never truly happy….I just..felt like something was missing….untill today, I did'nt know what that was…" Shasta brushed a stray lock of crimson from her eyes as she gazed at Trunks, a weak smile on her features.

"That something..is me, right?" Trunks questioned, a crimson blush rising up on his face. The red-head giggled and opened her mouth to reply when the bell suddenly rang for 3rd period.

"Maaan…..Hey, Trunks, what class ya got next?"

The lavender haired teen glanced at his timetable. "Uh….gym."

Shasta grinned that all-too-familiar goofy grin of hers and ran a hand through her hair. "Me too! I'll meet you in the gym in 5 minutes, 'kay? It's just down the corner from here. You can't miss it. It was great seein' you again!" she squealed, wrapping Trunks in a tight hug.

He laughed and hugged back, his cheeks still pink, before bidding goodbye and racing off to the gym, his heart beating unusually fast.

Once changing into his gym tracksuit, Trunks exitted the locker room and walked out onto the highly polished floor of the gymnasium. He glanced around for any sign of Shasta, searching for that distinctive head of spikey red hair. He soon found it….kissing one of the jocks gently on the lips.

The lavender haired teen's eyes widdened at the sight. Shasta, dressed in white gym shorts and a tight blue t-shirt, had her arms around the neck of a rather tall, muscular guy with golden-brown hair and amber coloured eyes. He was dressed too in a gym tracksuit, but his shirt was green rather than blue. He had his arms around Shasta's waist, whispering something no doubt extremly rude into her ear.

An odd feeling surged through Trunks veins…He felt his brow furrow in a scowl, lips twisting into a sneer….it was almost as if he was……jealous…

"Okay, class! Quiet! Quiet…I SAID SHUT YER DAMN PILEHOLES!!"

Everyone nearly jumped out of their skin at the sound of the gym teacher's voice. They turned to see an absurdly muscular man that looked like a cross between The Hulk and Brolli's little brother, dressed in a lurid green jump suit. He blew a whistle and the class instantly quietened down.

Clearing his throat, the gym teacher motioned to the racks of various balls positioned at the end of the room. "We're gonna play a lil' dodge ball, ya dig?" he barked, in a hoarse , throaty voice. The students all looked worriedly at each other.

Another sharp blow of the whistle made everyone jump again.

"Tarentino! You be the captain of Team Alpha. Pick 10 players for your team. Matherson, same rules apply to you. Pick your Team Omega then head out to the b-ball court." The gym teacher instructed, nodding to Shasta and Trunks.

"'Kay, coach!" Shasta replyed, giving a two fingered army salute. She glanced at the group of students and placed a hand to her chin, surveying them.

"I piiiiick…..Alicia….Daphne…Marshall…."

Trunks blinked. He could've SWORN he heard her put a tiny empitis on Marshall's name. His fears were confirmed when the guy who Shasta had been kissing earlier stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. He winked at the red-head, who blushed and giggled, causing a slight green tinge to flash up on Trunks' cheeks.

He could'nt understand it… WHY was he feeling like this?

No time to dwell on it now, he thought. Time to play some dodge…

About half an hour later, considerable battered and bruised, Trunks staggered into the men's locker room. He grabbed his towel from his pack and quickly undressed, heading to one of the shower cubicles at the far end of the locker room. Pulling back the curtain, he adjusted the water and let the cool spray trickle down his aching body, easing the cramps in his muscles.

Reaching for the shower gel, he picked up on a conversation between two of the jocks in the next cubicles. Knowing better than to eavesdrop, Trunks was about to ignore them when he heard Shasta's name thrown into the chat…

"..So, Marshall.. you bone that Wallace girl yet?" one of the jocks said in a Mexican accent, laughing pervertedly. There came a collective chuckle from the one known as Marshall, followed by a 'tsk tsk' sound.

"Aaaah, Pepito…. How many times have I told you? She's 'saving herself for marriage'." Marshall sneered, putting on a mocking tone of voice.

Trunks was vaguely aware that the hand clutching the shower gel bottle had clenched so tight the contents had exploded all over the walls… he was too full of anger towards this person of even daring to speak that way about his best friend….he wanted to ignore them, but something drove him to hear more…

A long whistle came from Pepito before he laughed sympatheticly. "Bummer! Exactly HOW do you cope with the frustration if you a'int getting' any o' the good stuff?"

Marshall snorted. There was a loud squirting sound which ment that he'd probably squeesed a shampoo bottle.

"Oh, I am gettin' the good stuff, Peppy, my boy! Ya know that cheerleader Jessica?"

"Si, senor!"

"She'll screw any motherfucker off the street for $50 and a bottle of tequilla."

Pepito gave a great cackle of amazement. "FUCK, man! You are such a player! An' the red-head don't gotta clue?"

"Nope. Completely ignorant. An' I plan to keep it that way, Peppy. Tell anyone an' I'll pickle you in sangria and feed you to the coyotes!" Marshall bragged, sounding like a man who had come back from war victorious.

A low growl supressed in his throat, Trunks stormed out of the shower and quickly dressed, wanting to get out of that locker room as fast as possible so as not to smash Marshall's smug little face in with a hockey club..

Exitting the locker room, he crossed the gymnasium to get to the double doors, only to meet up with Shasta. She had changed into a pair of baggy jeans and an equally baggy slash-neck black t-shirt with a large skull and crossbones on the front in white. Her unbelievably red hair was tied into a high ponytail and her deep purple gym back was slung over one slender shoulder.

Trunks gave her a weak smile and turned his attention back to the door, not wanting to make eye contact.

"Trunks? What's wrong? You look unusually pale.."she queried, cocking her head to one side. The lavender haired teen sighed and inhaled a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Uh….dodge ball was kinda brutal.."

Shasta chuckled and folded her arms over her chest. "Not my fault if I have a good aim! Heh! C'mon….you wanna get something to eat? You look as if you could use some food. I'm gonna skip the last class of the day and head over to Mocha Bagel. How 'bout you?"

Trunks looked up at her, his expression stony. "I don't think your boyfriend'll like that…"

The red-head's smile faded. "Oh….you know…Yeah, me an' Marshall have been dating for 8 months now.. but we trust each other! I'm sure he won't mind if I went to lunch with a friend! C'mon, don't feel guilty!"

"That's not what I'm concerned about….Shasta….I think we have to talk.."

****

~*~*~*~*~

The pair stopped in at a small coffee shop just off campus, filled with the rich aroma of herbal teas and dozens of students taking a lunch break. Shasta and Trunks chose a table near the window over looking the view of the ocean, glistening in the afternoon sun.

"Okay…you said you wanted to talk…"Shasta said, folding her arms on the marble table before her. Trunks let out a deep sigh.

"I overheard..your boyfriend in the locker room earlier….I don't really know how to say this, but……..he's cheating on you."

The red head's eyes widdened in supprise, before narrowing suspiously. She surveyed Trunks up and down, unsure as if to believe him or not..

"How can you be so sure?"

"Shas! I heard him brag about getting' some from some cheerleader named Jessica! He only wants you for one thing!" The lavender haired teen protested, causing several students to look up in supprise. The red-head rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Oh, puh-lease! Marshall is NOT cheating on me! You must've heard wrong. Me and him, we're madly in love. I think you're just jealous of what we have and you're tryna sabotage our relationship by conjuring up some cock and bull story about him cheating! You don't even KNOW him, Trunks! He's such a sweet guy and I KNOW he'll never cheat on me!"

Trunks sighed heavily. "You don't understand… I heard him, loud and clear-"

"Well, you heard wrong! My Marshall is not a player! He's kind, charming and not the jealous type, which I wished held true to you! Now, If you are gonna keep telling me lies, I might as well go home!" Shasta yelled angerily, rising from her seat and heading towards the exit. Jumping to his feet, Trunks raced after her and grasped her wrist.

He gazed deep into her eyes. "I know it's hard to believe, but you have to trust me on this! I would never lie to you, Shas…you know that!"

A moment of uneasy silence passed between the two, both staring at each other…

"Trunks…….don't…"Shasta said, her eyes looking hurt. Breaking free from his grip, she turned on her heels and walked out the door, leaving the lavender haired teen standing by the bar, shaking his head.

"Shasta…."

Later that day, Trunks returned home with a heavy heart. He hardly said anything to his foster parents after returning home, instead retiring to his room and pressing play on his stereo, not really caring what cd was inside. A slow, haunting melody filled his ears as a sultry female voice floated from the speakers. Trunks lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, listening to the lyrics..

**__**

I lay awake last night  
Wondering what might have been  
You're no longer here  
Because I pushed you away  
But now I wish  
You were here with me  
Holding me in your loving embrace  
I cry every night  
Because you're not here  
Pain stabs my heart  
Fear lies in my eyes  
I want you near

the lavender haired demi-Saiyen let out a sigh and opened his eyes. He just could'nt comprehend how much Shasta had changed over these past 7 years… she was so unlike herself, so unlike the 10 year old cat-girl who had given Trunks his first kiss….

He sat up at this thought, a hand running across his lips at the memory..he had been so shocked at her simple action that day…but secretly, he had enjoyed it. So many thoughts ran through his head, his heart pounding painfully in his chest…

He sighed again and lay back on his bed once more, turning on his side and hugging a pillow close. He just could'nt explain this feeling inside him that stabbed at his heart like a sharp dagger…nor could he explain how he felt when he saw her again for the very first time in 7 years… he had felt like he was floating on air, felt light-headed and giddy with butterflies dancing in his stomach….

Did he love her….?

**__**

If i could change the past  
Would be be together  
Till the end of time  
Now and forever?  
Would stay with me?  
Hold me close?  
Tell me you love me?  
Let me hear your voice?

Trunks did'nt know…he felt so confused with his emotions..he just wanted to be alone for the time being, trying to figure out all the strange new feelings that washed over his body…

**__**

My heart's so empty  
Drowning in tears  
I want your bodie next to mine  
I want to hold you close  
I need your love  
It's the air i breathe  
Give me your love  
Cuz it's all i need  
  
There was a time  
You still where mine  
We loved each other  
Hearts entwined  
But now you're gone  
You ran away  
But I know we'll be together  
Again some day

The song had soon come to an end and as the final, soothing note faded to nothing, the door slowly swung open on it's hinges. A tall girl of at least 14 years of age with a head of unruly blue hair and big grey eyes, stepped into the room, her dark green sun-dress swaying with her movement.

"Hey, Trunks… dinner's ready. Mom sent me up to get you. You comin' down or are you gonna stay cooped up in your room listening to my cds all day?" she queried, sounding amused. Trunks didn't look up. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes.

"Go away, Mia…"

"Bad day at high school?" the girl questioned, seating herself down on the edge of the bed. The lavender haired teen sighed and turned to face her, propping his elbow up on the mattress and resting his head in his palm. "Brutal…but you would'nt understand…"

"Hey! I may be 14 but I'm a lot smarter than I look! C'mon, bro! Tell lil ol' Mia what's buggin' ya."

"It's….just…….have you ever had a friend who was going out with someone else, yet you kinda felt like…like you were in love with that friend?"

Mia's eyes widdened, mouth curling into a sly smile. "Oooooh, girl trouble, is it? Heh! Well, I can't really help you there, dude. I've never been in that situation.."

Trunks sighed and rolled back over on his side again. "Oh, forget it….get out, Mia…I wanna be left alone.."

The blue-haired girl sighed and got up from her seat. "Fiine…If you want dinner, it's waiting for you downstairs."

Trunks let out an incoharent sound and changed the cd in his stereo, blasting up the volume untill Mia's speech was completely drowned out by the sound of James Hetfield screaming something or other about 'setting his anger free'….

****

~*~*~*~

A large, pink Caddilac convertible pulled up against the kerb outside a shabby-looking 2 storey house, covered in moss and ivy, the porch deck rotten and covered with peeling paint. The engine slowly died down to nothing as Shasta turned the key in the ignition, pulling it out and stuffing it in the pocket of her jeans. Hopping over the side of the door, she walked up the wooden steps to the door of the house, hands clenching involentarily by her side.

Even though she had dismissed Trunks' story as ludicris, a small, nagging voice in the back of her head had compelled her to confront Marshall and find out the truth. She felt guilty at having yelled at Trunks like that, but she'd been in Phase 1: denial.

Now, several hours later, she was in Phase 3: fear..

The front door was slightly ajar as she approched it, out stretching her arm to grasp the handle of the door. It swung open silently on it's hindges, allowing the red-head to creep in unnoticed. Her heart pounded furiously as she walked inside the house, looking for her boyfriend-or to be precise, her boyfriend sleeping with another girl…

She soon reached his bedroom, pausing at the door to listen intently for any tell-tale noises…

Her eyes widdened at the sounds and she had to clamp a hand over her mouth to supress a sob. With a shaking hand, she slowly pulled the handle of the door and pushed it open, stumbling upon a sight that made her heart stop.

Marshall was lying flat on his back against the pillows of his bed, completely naked as a plastic-looking blonde woman bounced up and down on top of him. Upon hearing the door creak open, his eyes snapped open, widdening at the sight of the red-head, who looked a mixture of livid and upset.

"You bastard.." she whispered, shaking her head. Turning on her heels, she ran out of the house and jumped into her Caddy, turning the key in the ignition. A few seconds later, Marshall came running out of the house, a sheet hiding his modesty as he tried to catch up with her, but he was too slow as the bubblegum pink Caddilac sped off into the approaching night….

Rain pelted down the window, showing a gloomy, starless night outside. Trunks could hear the thunder crash faintly in the distance, the soft pattering of rain drops hitting the roof becoming a soothing lullaby.He was barely asleep for 5 minutes when the doorbell rang downstaris. Grumbling to himself, he got out of bed and exited his room, heading down to the front door, wondering who would visit at this hour of the night..

Upon opening the door, he was startled to find Shasta standing on the porch, her hair soaking wet and plastered to her head, clothes drenched and clinging to her like a second skin. She looked up at him, her emerald green eyes sad and teary before lurching forward and wrapping him in a needy hug. Confused, Trunks slowly hugged back, wondering what she was doing at his doorstep at this hour of the night.

He closed the door behind her and led her upstairs, making her wait in his room while he got a towel. Once she was slightly less wetter, she pulled her knees up to her chest and stared at him, her eyes bloodshot from crying.

"What brings you to Casa de Trunks?" Trunks asked, sitting down beside her. She hiccuped slightly and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Trunks, I'm so sorry I doubted you…..you were right all along about Marshall….I ..I found him in the arms..of..that….that bitch Jessica Delicker….All this time, I was…blind to the truth….I..I just did'nt want to see it…I've been such a fool…" her voice shoke as she spoke, both from the cold and from her sadness. She sniffled and wiped away several tears with the back of her hand.

"Hey….you're not foolish….quiet, now….you know I don't like seeing you cry…."Trunks whispered, placing a arm around her shoulder in a bid to comfort her. She whimpered softly and closed her eyes, leaning into him.

"Why could'nt I have ended up with a guy….a guy like you?"she whispered. The lavender haired demi-saiyen felt his cheeks flush pink at this. Did this mean she felt the same way about him as he did her..?

"You're the sweetest, kindest guy I know….but I keep attracting deadbeats….seems like I'm a magnet for assholes.." she opened her eyes and glanced up at him, a weak smile playing on her features. He smiled back and placed a hand on her cheek, startled at how cold it felt.

"No, you're not….you've just…never met the right guy…for all I know..he..he could be right under your nose."

Shasta's smile widdened slightly. "I guess so…….Trunks, I am so sorry I yelled at you today…"

"Sssh..let's put that behind us. It's late and you could use some sleep-"Trunks started but was cut off by a pair of velvety soft lips on his own, preventing him from finishing his sentence. Had he been 7 years younger, he would have been repulsed at the idea of a girl kissing him, but he was older now and no longer feared getting cooties. He closed his eyes and guided his hands to Shasta's waist, snaking his arms around her as he pulled her into a warm embrace, never once releasing the kiss.

He felt Shasta's hands slowly wind around his neck, deepening the kiss as she seemed to push him down on his back against the bed, lying on top of him as her hands moved to run up and down his arms. Trunks heard a distinctive, soft purr rumbling in her throat as she caressed his bare arms with her fingertips.

Trunks finally broke the kiss,his hands entwined with hers as he gazed into her eyes. "Don't…….we both know you're only doing this because of him.."

The red head whimpered softly and rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes. "I….sorry….."

"Don't appoliguize…..you did nothing wrong. Just try and get some sleep, okay? You could use it."

But Shasta was already one step ahead of him, for a soft, purring snore escaped her lips as she sleep, using his chest for a pillow…

****

~*~*~*~*~

End Chapter 3

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

__

Song featured in this chapter was " 'Till The End Of Time".

**** **__**


	4. Chapter 4

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~*Days Of Our Lives*~

by Shasta

~*~*~*~

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Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or Trunks…..*sniffle*

****

Dedicated to Jen 'SaintMe' Prepodnik, the almighty Vegeta-tarian! 

**__**

~*~*~*~

Chapter 4: Time And Time Again…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Morning sunlight flooded the bedroom via the large, bare window, golden beams of sunshine trailing across the sleeping couple as they lay in each other's arms. Emerald green eyes slowly flickered open against the light, squinting slightly. A low yawn escaped nude pink lips as the 17 year old red-head sat up and stretched her muscles. She reached up a hand to rub the sleep out of her eyes before turning on her side to gaze upon the man beside her.

She smiled softly, leaning forward to tenderly brush away a stray lock of silken lavender. Trunks' eyes slowly flickered open, revealing two orbs of deep sapphire. He looked curiously up at her, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Mornin'…" he breathed, followed by a yawn during which he stretched his entire body so that his toes wiggled. Shasta smirked and pushed him flat on his back, leaning down towards him so that their faces were meer inches from each other. A soft chuckle escaped her lips before she rested them firmly on Trunks' own. A soft groan sounded from the demi-Saiyen's throat as she gently nibbled on his bottom lip and it took most of his self-control to stop himself from rolling HER over on her back and…

"Ooooh….Am I interupting anything?"

Trunks sat up with such force that he sent the red-head tumbling to the floor, thus getting tangled up in the bedsheets in the process.

"AAK! M…Mia! It's not what you think!"

From the floor, Shasta let out a muffled protest as she struggled with the sheets, managing to get her head free. She glanced over at the doorway to see a 14 year old girl with electric blue hair, dressed in bubblegum pink satin pjammas smirking at them both. 

Confusion clouding her brain, the red-head glanced at Trunks, cocking her head to one side. "Errr…who's this?"

Sighing heavily, Trunks swung his legs over the side of the bed and held out a hand to help her up. "Shasta, my annoying lil' sister. Annoying lil' sister, Shasta." He said sarcastcly as the red-haired cat-girl took a set beside him on the bed.

"Nice ta meet'cha! Heh heh! Well, big brother, If you're done making out with your girlfriend, Mom has breakfast ready downstairs…"Mia said slyly, winking at Trunks, who turned the colour of a sunburnt beetroot.

"OUT!" he yelled, his face a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance. The blue-haired girl stuck out her tongue at the demi-Saiyen, giggled and ran out of the room before Trunks had the chance to bitch-slap her into the next millenium..

Sighing heavily, he flopped back on his bed and ran a hand through his hair. "That girl will be the death of me.." he sighed exasperatedly. Shasta chuckled and lay down beside him, absently curling a stray lock of lavender around her index finger.

"Not unless **I **get to you first…"she smirked, kissing him gently on the lips. He smiled and kissed back, running a hand along her spine, another stroking her hair.

"Mmmm……..but what a way to go!" he replied with a soft chuckle.

"Heh….I suppose we best get downstairs to breakfast….Mia's probably snitching to your parents about us!" the red-head said with a chuckle, relishing the look of disbelief upon the lavender haired teen's face…

****

~*~*~*~

Just as Shasta had predicted, Mia has officially snitched to her parents about what went behind the door of her 'brother's room. Needless to say, Trunks was greeted with a VERY sly look from his foster father.

The two teens took their seats at the table and waited for someone to break the uneasy silence that hung in the air. Shasta glanced around nervously, drumming her fingers on the table every now and then..

"It's about time you got yourself a girlfriend, dear!" came a Spanish-accented voice from the refridgerator, belonging to a tall woman in a long, floaty green dress, her light blue hair tied up into a smart bun attop her head, several strands hanging in dark grey eyes peering out behind a pair of thin rimmed glasses.

Trunks turned such an intense shade of red at this comment that his face matched the colour of Shasta's hair. He let out an embarrassed noise before promptly crawling under the table. His foster father simply laughed and shook his head.

"Always so modest….." he let out a chuckle and turned his sights on the red-haired cat-girl, who was currently handing a piece of toast to the demi-Saiyen under the table.

"….I did'nt catch your name, m'dear, but hopefully, Trunks did…"

Shasta grinned at his little joke and folded her arms in front of herself on the tabletop. "Heh…I'm Shastania….but you can call me Shasta." She extended one arm for him to shake and somewhat supprised to find the elder man kiss it lightly.

"Lovely to meet you! I'm Jack. You've already met Mia and this is my darling wife Rosabella." The elder man said, gesturing to the woman behind him, who had just wrapped her arms around him. The cat-girl smiled and shook hands with the older woman as they exchanged greetings.

Trunks soon crawled out from under the table and re-seated himself on his chair, face still flushed an interesting shade of red.

"So, Miss Shasta, tell me…how did you and Trunks meet?" Rosabella queried, seating herself down between her husband and daughter as she helped herself to a pancake.

"Eeer, well…we grew up together, but after the Satan City bombing, we kinda lost touch…….but, as luck would have it, Shasta here now goes to the same school as me." Trunks replied, in between mouthfulls of blueberry pancakes.

Shasta shook her head at the sight of the lavender haired teen's eatting habits. Somethings never change…. she thought in amusement.

And that's how they spent the morning: chatting about old times and telling anticotes of days gone by. Soon, morning had slipped into afternoon and since it was a weekend, Trunks offered to take the crimson-haired teen out on a sightseeing tour of East Hope City….

"Oh, Trunks…I'd love to, but I bet my folks have placed a bounty on my head..I really gotta get home, but maybe you can come visit me. I live over on the west side of the city, on Jaffe Street. It's the 4 storey house on the hill. You can't miss it." 

Shasta sighed as she leaned back against the baby pink upholstery of her vintage Caddilac. Trunks shook his head and leaned down against the car, eye level with the cat-girl. "I'll do that…I just hope you don't get grounded…"

"EEEK! I don't like the sounds of that….but I'll try and work the charm on 'em!"

A soft chuckle came from the demi-Saiyen's mouth as he leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on her lips. She let out an exasperated sigh but smiled and waved goodbye as she revved up the engine and sped off at break-neck speed down the long, ocean-view street, leaving Trunks standing on the kerb, watching as the pink Caddy disappeared from view..

"Where HAVE you been?!" yelled a woman in her late 20's with long, curly blonde hair as Shasta ambled into the lobby of the enormous 4-storey mansion she called home, flinching at the woman's tone of voice.

"…..I just…I had a rough day..I need to get my head around thing-"

"Blasphemy! You were with that thug Marshall Cleavenger, were'nt you?!" the blonde yelled, her watery blue eyes full of anger as they born into the young cat-girl like lazor beams, but still, she stood her ground. Every single time she met up with her foster mother, World War Three would break out… Shasta growled and threw up her arms in sheer frustration. "I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY! I JUST BROKE UP WITH THE DAMN BASTARD!!" she yelled at such a high pitch she scared herself.

The blonde woman arched an eyebrow and folded her arms over her obviously plastic chest, her anger seeming to have subsided.

"Oh? Well, whatever reason behind it, I'm sure it was for the best, dear….but anyways, you had your father and I worried sick last night! We'd thought you-"

The crimson-haired teen closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out as a sigh. "Oh, don't bore me with that bullshit, Mom! You were out drinkin' like a damn fish all night..you could'nt care less of what happens to me, but just so ya know, I can take care of myself, alright?! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going up to my room and I do NOT want to be disturbed…GOT IT?!"

And with that, the teenager ran up the flight of marble stairs,slamming her bedroom door loudly and leaving the blonde woman to stand aghast in the lobby. The sound of footsteps echoed around the green marble walls, made by a pair of highly polished boots belonging to a tall, muscular man dressed in an expensive-looking black pinstripe suit, his shoulder lenght raven-coloured hair slicked back on his scalp with a generous helping of gel. He did'nt appear to be much older than 29 at the very least and his eyes were hidden under a pair of black Terminator-style shades.

He folded his arms over his chest and glanced up at the staircase. "That girl becomes more and more of a rebel everyday…" he said, in a casual yet suave tone of voice. The blonde woman narrowed her cold blue eyes at the man and placed her hands on her hips, creasing the fabric of her designer red dress.

"She gets it from you, Seventeen! You're a bad influence!"

The raven-haired man lowered his glasses on his nose, revealing eyes of the darkest shade of blue. He arched one eyebrow before fully removing his glasses and placing them neatly in his breast pocket.

"Must you always blame me for her faults? I swear, Eighteen.. you've been so judgemental ever since you discovered alcohol and cocaine…tell me…. What is it like to live in a constant haise of self-destruction?" he queried, in a bored voice.

"Don't you dare twist my words! Why did we even adopt this chick anyway?!" Eighteen hissed, the several strings of pearlys around her neck quivering as she spoke.

"Because, my DARLING wife…If people are to believe we are a law-abiding family, we must have a child….of course, because we're mostly Mecha, we can't have one of our own, now can we? Not that I'd want to bring YOUR demonic spawn into this world…" Seventeen retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he proceeded to clean his sunglasses with a handful of fabric from his coat.

"Besides, I've grown quite fond of her….she reminds me of…….ME, actually.."

"Ugh….you sicken me…" Eighteen groaned, turning on her spiked heels and crossing the caverous lobby, muttering to herself.

Seventeen shook his head and chuckled. "Women.." he said to himself as he pulled a cigarette from the case in his trouser pockets; "…Damned if I can ever understand 'em…"

****

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Upstairs….

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

__

The drugs they say

Make us feel so hollow

We love in vain

Narcissistic and so shallow

Hate today

There's no love for tomorrow…

Shasta lay back against the pillows of her enormous four-poster bed, eyes closed as she lost herself in the lyrics of the song playing at an ungodly volume from the stereo on her bedside table. A sigh escaped her lips as she rolled over on her side, facing the wall with a pillow clutched close to her body for comfort. Despite getting anything and everything she could ever want, she absolutly hated living in this gigantic house…with dozens of servent robots, acres of cars and mountains of money….

She hated the fact that, like her natural father, her foster parents lead a life fueled by sex, drugs and alcohol..

It seemed like someone above was torturing her, deliberatly making her life one giant misery…yet there was a ray of light among the darkness…

…Trunks….

For so long, she feared she'd never see him again, but now that he'd re-entered her life, she had something to live for..he was her flame…her tower of strenght…her shoulder to cry on. You get the picture. But now, her feelings for him had changed-no- EVOLVED from a meer bond of friendship to something more. She constantly told herself that she was just being shallow, using him to make herself feel better about the incident with Marshall……yet a tiny piece of her heart was forever questioning: Who do you REALLY love…?

**__**

The drugs they say

Are made in Calafornia

We love your face

We'd really like to sell you

The cops and queers

Make good looking models

Who will I wake up with tomorrow…?

Sighing once more, the red-head rolled over and flipped off the stereo, plunging the room into an eerie silence, save for the sound of her own breathing. Even though it was only 4pm in the afternoon, she felt unusually tired, her eyelids growing heavy. Before long, she had drifted off into a restless sleep, plagued by dreams of that tragic day during which she lost her entire family….

****

~*~*~*~

__

She had no idea how long she'd been asleep, but judging by how dark it was outside the French doors, Shasta reckoned she'd slept most of the day… With a loud yawn, she stretched her muscles and crawled out of bed, her ankle length silk nightdress swaying with her movement. She crossed the room, intending on closing over the curtains of the double balcony doors to block out the moonrays…but as she went to do so, a golden speck in among the stars caught her attention.

"Nani…? A comet?" she said to herself as she stood by the window, watching as the speck appeared to increase in size. It was then she realized that it was not a comet she was staring at, but a person flying towards her, surrounded by golden flames….

…She did'nt have to think twice to guess who it was.

Trunks landed as quiet as a cat on the balcony outside and knocked once on the plate glass window, peering in with confusion pasted across his face. A soft smile graced the red-head's face as she silently opened the doors, allowing the demi-Saiyen to float in and sweep her into his arms without a single word, kissing her gently on the lips. A soft sigh escaped Shasta's lips as she leaned into his chest, feeling the heat radiate from his body.

"I was'nt sure if I should come….."Trunks whispered as he held her in his arms, chin resting on the top of her head.

"I'm glad you did….I think if I say here a second longer, I'll go crazy…" she replied with a soft chuckle.

Trunks smiled and took her hand, gazing deep into her emerald green eyes with his own sapphire pair. "C'mon….There's something I want to show you…" He began to levitate a few inches off the floor, causing Shasta to let out a gasp of fright, not being used to the sensation of flying. The demi-saiyen smiled and pulled her into an embrace before rising clear off the floor and up into the star-studded night sky.

The night air felt so good on Shasta's skin as they flew through the air, soaring high like a pair of eagles over the city, alight with tiny pinpoints of light from various buildings and streetlamps. They flew high up into the sky, bursting through great, fluffy puffs of cloud untill the city below was no longer visable.

Their surroundings had completely changed. Instead of seeing a city situated next to the vast ocean below, they were now standing on swirling clouds, the moon full and pure before them, the only source of light in the inky black sky.

"Trunks….! This is…the view….it's beautiful…" Shasta breathed, looking up at the stars, the light of the moon casting a silver hue among her features. Trunks smiled and wrapped his arms protectively around her, his fingers lost in an endless sea of crimson locks.

"I knew you'd like it…I come here to think…..to get away from all the noise of the city.." he whispered, closing his eyes as he got lost in the moment. He felt Shasta rest her head on his shoulder, her arms creeping up his back as she leaned into his embrace.

"This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me……" she whispered, lifting her head off his shoulder to gaze at him. He opened his eyes, meeting with a pair of brilliant green orbs as they pierced his very soul. He smiled and raise one hand to take her chin in his index finger and thumb.

"Well, maybe that's because having you back in my life is the best thing that happened to me…" he breathed, before closing his eyes and placing a soft, passionate kiss on her lips, holding her close as they surrendered to each other, getting lost in the tender kiss…the soothing feeling of floating on air…everything….

It would be a night neither would ever forget…..

****

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!

__

"WAH!!!"

****

THUD.

Shasta blinked in confusion as she suddenly found herself tangled up in a mass of bedsheets. Grumbling loudly to herself, she managed to pull herself free and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"It was all a dream…." She said to herself, almost disappointedly….. 

Groaning loudly, she got up and walked into the ajoining bathroom. Standing in front of the wash basin, she stared at her reflection in the mirror before her. Dark green eyes peered out from under a lopsided fringe of magenta-red spikes, greatly resembling the style of her Uncle Goku. From the endless mass of red spikes, two large, cat-like ears were just barely visible, a mark of her Nekonian heritage… People always said she looked the splitting image of her mother, but Shasta would'nt know… she'd never even seen a photo of the woman who gave her life..she'd never met the woman who brought her into this world…

Shasta blamed herself for her mother's death, having been told that the strain of giving birth to her put such a strain on her mother's heart…

With an anguished cry, she balled her hand into a fist and slammed it hard into the mirror with such force that it shattered into a million tiny pieces. Pain stabbed at her fist, but she did'nt care about that… No physical pain could match the pain she had endured emotionally throughtout the course of her pathetic life…

Nothing could compare to the suffering she had to endure throughout her childhood…to be abused and negleted….no-one could possibly understand her torment…

**__**

~*~*~*~*~

The laboritory door swung open with such force that Trunks just barely avoided getting flatted into a pancake. He blinked in confusion several times, watching as his foster father, looking positively estatic, ran out of the doorway, almost tripping over his own feet.

"MY GREATEST EXPERIMENT IS FINALLY COMPLETED!!!" he yelled, with all the engery of a 5 year old on a sugar high. He promptly grabbed Trunks' wrists and did a little dance of triumph all along the hall.

"Whu..? Dad! What is it? You're acting crazier than usual.." the lavender haired Saiyen asked, a small bead of sweat trickling down his temple.

Jack grinned and practically crushed Trunks in a one armed hug. "I'm glad you asked that, m'boy! I could use a guinea pig!"

The teenage Saiyen's sapphire blue eyes widdened in fear. Guinea pig?! That sure as hell did'nt sound good…Before Trunks had a chance to protest, he found himself being dragged down into the aircraft hanger-come-laboritory locacted in the backyard of the humble 2 storey house. The lab was no-where near as large as the one in the Capsule Corp manor, but still impressive.

The walls were some form of moulded plastic, white and shiny, and covered in various shelfs of gadgets and gizmos. In one corner, there was a large titanium skeleton held up by several strings from the ceiling. The thing would'nt look out of place on the set of a Terminator movie.. In the centre of the room was a large, steel operating table, surgical lights dangling overhead and various pieces of equipment littered across the tabletop.. but the the one thing that stood out most was an enormous contraption balanced on 3 steel 'legs'.

It appeared to be some sort of aircraft, but it was the strangest aircraft Trunks had ever seen. The entire craft stood at least 8 feet tall with a large, canary yellow belly baring the name "Hope 1". Three enormous rocket boosters portruded from the underside of the craft and the hatch was made entirely of domed glass. Levitating a few feet off the floor, Trunks peered through the glass, into the cockpit.

It looked as though it could fit two people and was furnished with what looked oddly like the backseat of a vintage Caddilac. In front of the 'sofa', there was a large control panel that was flashing green lights, signalling that everything was normal.

"Whoa……..what the heck is it?" Trunks queried, as his feet touched the floor once more.

"That, my boy.." Jack said proudly as he cleaned his glasses with a handful of his lab coat ; "….is a time machine."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAA?! Bu..but HOW?!" Trunks exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief. Jack leaned against the operating table and folded his arms over his chest, gazing up lovingly at his creation.

"It's quite difficult to explain, really…but part of it requires harnessing the speed of light. Once you can do that, you can fast forward or rewind time….with a little help from some plutonium, of course!" the elder scientist replyed proudly.

"An…and you want ME to go back in time with this thing?" Trunks said weakly, sinking into a chrome lab chair before his knees gave away. Jack nodded and poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot brewing on the worktop. He sat down beside the lavender haired teen and took a long dreg from his mug.

He stared down into the dark brown water, his expression turning sad. "That is..if you WANT to…..this could be a chance to change the course of history. If my calculations are correct, you could save the lives of those who died in the Stock Exchange bombing….you could prevent a tragedy.."

Trunks looked up at his foster father with wonder. He was being offered a chance to save his parents..to make things the way they were again..but that ment that Jack…Rosabella..Mia…they'd all be just a memory to him…and Shasta…

Trunks sudden thought of something..he remembered back to the night she had first sought sanctuary from he parents.. she had told him with tears in her eyes, that she was the reason her biolodgical mother had died..the reason Yamcha hated her so much..

Maybe, Trunks thought, if he could go back in time, he could prevent that….he could give his best and closest friend a happy life..

"…I could give a friend a new life…" he said out loud, a small smile creeping across his face. Jack looked up at his, face etched with curiousity. "Hmm?"

"Hold that thought…..I have to go speak to a friend of mine…"

****

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~

About an hour later...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

"What happened to your hand?" Trunks queried, as he watched the young red-head approch him, walking across the gravelled pathway leading down the drive of the majestic mansion on the top of Jaffe Street.

Shasta sighed and sat down on the wall beside him. "I have a habit of punching sharp objects when I'm frustrated..Heh…Now I have TWO broken fingers!" she added with a chuckle as she glanced down at her bandaged hands.

The lavender haired teen shook his head and chuckled softly. He inched closer to her and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pulling Shasta into a one-armed embrace, resting his chin on the top of her head. "You scare me sometimes…."

"Oh, hush you! So, what did you want to see me about?" the cat-girl replyed, reaching up to play with the strand of silken lavender that forever hung in Trunks' eyes. One of his hands reached up to entwine with hers as he stared deep into her eyes.

"What if I told you I've found a way for you to meet your mother?"

****

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

End Chapter 4

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	5. Chapter 5

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~*Days Of Our Lives*~

by Shasta

~*~*~*~*~

__

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z. Now please put down your shotgun…

****

~*~*~*~*~  
_Chapter 5: Love In A Time Machine_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wh…what?"

It came out as a soft whisper from her soft pink lips, her emerald green eyes wide with disbelief and the slightest hint of fear..So many questions ran through Shasta's mind, unable to take in what Trunks had just told her. The idea sounded great, but what did he mean truly? Did he know where her mother was buried..? Or was it something more?

She looked deep into the timeless blue of his eyes, as if they held the answers to her unspoken questions..

Trunks took one of her hands in his own, leaning towards her untill the tips of their noses almost touched. "Shasta-chan…..there is a way.."he whispered softly as he gazed back into her eyes.

They both sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, each too nervous to speak………….

"..How..? She's….she's dead, Trunks…" The red-head whispered, the ghost of a tear trickling down her cheek. She closed her eyes against it, sighing heavily as she felt a gently hand reach to brush away the drop of salty water.

"You don't have to give me an immidiate answer…..I'll give you time to think about it." Trunks whispered softly, planting a delicate kiss upon her rosy-pink lips. She nodded slowly and rested her head on his broad shoulder, closing her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. She felt so confused inside.Sure, it sounded good, but was she truly ready to meet the woman who had given her life….?

Getting up from her seat on the wall, Shasta wiped away the few tears that had escaped from her eyes with the back of her hand. She avoided gazing directly at him, suddenly becoming extremly interested with the metal toes of her boots.

"..Y…yeah….I'll let you know….once I've got my head on straight.." she said quietly. Trunks nodded in understanding and jumped off the wall. He took a few steps towards her and catched her chin between his finger and thumb.

"I know what you feel right now…and..I understand….if..if you don't want to do this…."he whispered, tilted her head up to look into her eyes. He was met with a soft nod and a final, delicate kiss on the lips before the young red head broke away and turned on her heels, heading up the drive without so much as a backwards glance…

~*~*~*~*~

Soft music drifted quietly from behind the closed, oak door. The tune was slow and eerie, made by a single accoustic guitar and drums. It combined with the pattering of the rain on the window, creating a soothing yet eerie lullaby.

The grainy voice of a female singer filled the room, the lyrics of the song falling onto saddened ears..

**__**

Sittin' in my bed

Listening to the fighting

All the nasty things he said

Plates go flyin'

Momma's started cryin'

I can't take this any more

I feel like I'm dyin'

The lyrics were so true to what Shasta felt right now. Memories of her troubled past flashed inside her mind, like a black and white movie on a perpetual loop. Silent tears fell from her eyes as she hugged a pillow close to her body. She could remember the fear she felt as a child, back when she lived in a stuffy apartment block with her father…her blood was laced with hatred for that man…. She hated him….she hated everything about him, from his unruly black hair right down to his karete sandals…He was the reason she was so angry these days…

She had kept all her pain locked up inside herself for such a huge part of her life, and only now, was she releasing her inner demons..

The song drifted into an instrumental break for a few moments, before returning to that haunting melody…

**__**

Momma, I love you  
Remember that  
Your heart is broken

I can feel your pain

We can survive without him  
We need him no more  
He's nothing but a bastard  
Just throw him out the door

She could remember all those nights she was kept awake, unable to sleep from the sounds of the screaming downstairs in the kitchen. Her father not only abused her, but also her stepmother Marron.. every night, it was the same thing..

Yamcha would come home after a day of gambling and heavy drinking. The pair would fight over it, but with Yamcha being a skilled warrior, he always succeeded in placing Marron in the hospital. Sure, he said he regretted it later, but the young red-head knew otherwise. He was evil, his heart tainted by alcohol and heroin. He was possessed by addictive demons…demons he had no control over…demons that dominated his life..

There were so many times that he'd tryied to get help…Shasta could'nt even begin to count….but he always failed. He was a failure…and he had let both herself and Marron down…

He's dead now, she told herself. You no longer have to put up with his shit…..

…yet, a small part of her being felt grief…. Sure he was a bad person, but deep down, he was still her father. He was fighting a losing battle against his own inner demons… that tiny part of Shasta's soul felt something towards him..it was'nt love… no-where near that…..but it was'nt exactly hatred….

**__**

  
I feel so broken  
Like broken glass  
I feel so ashamed  
I wanna bury my past  
I wanna fly away  
From this house of pain  
Just fly away  
Never come back again

Shasta rolled over on her side, closing her eyes as she cried softly into her pillow, listening to the song on her stereo system. There were times when she wanted to fly away from home….leave with Trunks to go someplace far away from her troubles….a place were she could find peace and happiness. On more than one occasion, she tried to escape to her Uncle Goku's home….but she was always caught…

She was also fearful of what her parents might think…she was scared of the punishment her father would inflict…..

..Sometimes it would be 6 lashes with the buckle end of his belt… other times, it was having her head held under as she bathed…..but the worst was the verbal torture… he'd scream himself hoarse, blaming her for her birth-mother's death…for everything that went wrong in his life…calling her a weakling and constantly putting her down..

**__**

Daddy, why must you yell?  
You hurt my mother  
You hurt me as well  
I can't take this pain any more  
I just wanna get up  
Walk out that door  
Fly away from here  
Stay away from you  
I want to disappear

"Why…?" she sobbed, her entire body shaking as tears fell from her eyes. She felt as if her very heart was weeping and for all she knew, it was. It would take a long time before the scars, the emotional ones, would heel over…all she ever knew in life was pain and suffering…

The song was reaching it's climax, the singer seeming to portay Shasta's own pain as her voice became sad and tearful, practically crying out the last few lyrics over the haunting chords of the guitar..

**__**

I feel so unloved  
Lost and alone  
I can't take the fighting  
I wanna slam down the phone  
What have you done?  
You broke my soul  
I hate you so much  
I wanna crawl into a hole

(Please leave this place)

Don't come back

(Turn away)

I can't take your crap

(Let us be)

Stop hurting us

(Let us be free)

I can't take it anymore.

I'm broken….

As the last, soft note slowly died down to nothing, a knock on the door broke the eerie silence that followed. A muffled protest came from the young red-head, rolling over to face the wall with a pillow clutched tightly to her chest. The door swung open slowly, the light from the landing outside casting a soft beam of golden light on the black wood floor.

A head of shiny black hair, poker-straight and tied into a loose ponytail peered into the room, belonging to Seventeen. His ice blue eyes caught sight of the young girl lying on the bed, which in turn, caused him to shake his head. Although he was mostly Mecha, the raven-haired android did possess a shred of human emotion. He was'nt lying when he said he was fond of his adoptive daughter…..to be perfectly honest, he regretted taking the lives of her family, but what choice did he have? His psychotic wife was always the one behind the murders….and he was always forced to go along with it.

Seventeen often wondered why he did'nt just leave the deranged bleach-blonde whore when he had the chance….but then again, he often told himself, _"Hell hath no fury like a psycho-blonde with an AK-47.." _

A sigh escaped his lips at the sight of Shasta, trembling on the bed with her back to him. He stepped over the innumberable piles of junk on the floor as he made his way towards the bed and sat down on the edge.

"What's new, Kittycat?"he said, in the hopes she'd laugh…

"Leave me alone…"the red-head muttered, words slightly muffled by the pillow she grasped with a death grip. A sigh escaped the android's pale lips and he reached to brush a stray strand of silken ebony from his eyes. His voice adopted a more fatherly tone and he leaned towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Not 'till you tell me what's wrong….even through these brick walls, I could hear you crying…." He paused for a moment, as if thinking something over, before speaking once more. "…Is this about Marshall?"

At this, Shasta rolled over to face him and slowly sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. "I….." but then she thought better. Seventeen would never be able to understand what she was feeling right now…Marshall was'nt even on her mind at the moment, but deciding it was better for some things about her past to be kept to herself, she simply nodded at the raven haired man's question.

"Aaaaw….Kittycat…" Seventeen said in a genuinely soothing voice as he attempted to sweep up the near-18 year old into a hug. She shrugged his arm off, however, and scooted over to the wall, pressing her back against it and bowing her head low, hiding her red and wet eyes from view.

"D..don't call me Kittycat, Dad……..look…I….I need to get my head around things…"she said quietly, from her spot by the wall.

Seventeen nodded and positioned himself so that he was sitting crosslegged before her on the dark purple bedspread. "I understand…but don't worry, Shaz…you'll be okay.." he gave her a weak smile, before glancing behind him, as if checking to see if anyone was in earshot. Satisfied that there was no-one doing so, he leaned forward and motioned for her to lean in close, as if about to endulge a big secret..

"Well…..whenever I'm having a bad day, I always go to the ocean to clear my head…." A sly grin crossed his face and his voice dropped to a near whisper; "….so, for tonight, I'm relaxing your grounding…now go and get a lung-full of that sea breeze before The Blonde Baracudda finds out!"

A smile crept across Shasta's face at this. Even though 'Sven' (as Seventeen was known to her…) was her foster-father, she looked up to him similar to how she had looked up to Gohan…as an older brother of sorts. He was'nt a bad guy, Sven….to be honest, he was the only sane one in the whole damn mansion! She nodded and gave him a light hug, expressing her thanks.

"Arigato, Sven-san. I'll be back in about an hour or so.."

Seventeen nodded and made his way back across the room towards the door. "I'll go and make up an excuse…you just go take a breather." He said, before waving and disappearing down the hall and out of sight. Once he was gone, the red-head jumped off the bed and closed the door, bolting it shut securely. She then proceeded to raid her wardrobe for a change of clothing.

After about 5 minutes, Shasta had soon changed into a pair of baggy orange gi pants, a baby blue tube top that showed off her perfectly toned stomach and an orange waistcoat with the Son family ensignia embroidered on the back. The outfit greatly resembled her dear uncle's training gi, which was one of the reasons she liked it so much as she thought of it as a lasting tribute to his name. Tying a baby blue ribbon around her virtually untamable hair, she pulled it into a spikey ponytail before grabbing the pack of capsules on her dresser and stuffing them into her pocket.

With a glance towards the door, she let out a sigh. "Gomen nasi, Sven-san….but when a chance to set things right comes along, you just gotta grab it…." She whispered, before pushing open the double balcony doors and taking to the night sky, a white aura surrounding her body..

~*~*~*~*~

A knock at the door caused the lavender haired teen to look up from the book he was currently reading. Placing a bookmark on the page he was reading, he closed the book over and got up from his seat at the kitchen table, walking into the hall towards the door. Upon opening it, he found Shasta standing on the decking of the porch, scratching her head nervously.

"Hey…"she said, giving Trunks a weak smile. He returned the smile and invited her into the kitchen for some chai tea.

"Am I right in assuming you wanna go an' test out the time machine with me?"he queried as he poured the boiling water into the tall, wooden mugs on the kitchen worktop. The red-head nodded and folded her arms out in front of her on the table. 

"Hai….It's the chance of a lifetime and I'm sure as hell not lettin' it pass me by..besides….I've always wanted to meet my mother.." 

Trunks took a seat in front of her and handed her a mug of green chai tea. She stared down into the greenish-brown water for a moment, taking in the delicate aroma of the drink before glancing over at Trunks with a soft smile on her face.

"I can understand that….but you'll have to remember to be carefull of what you say or do in the past…one simple mistake might have a drastic effect on this timeline, so for safety, you can't let slip that you're Yamcha's daughter, or that you're a reletive of Goku…it could result in you…" Trunks gulped nervously; "…..n..never being born…"

"Hai. I understand…but can I ask you….would it be alright if I gave my ..my mother a remedy? Maybe if I can prevent her heart problems, things would be different." Shasta queried, taking a short dreg from her mug.

Trunks tilted his head to one side, gazing curiously at her. "……Sure….but don't tell her too much about yourself…I don't know what I'd do if you disappeared from existence.."

One small, slightly furry hand reached across the table to rest attop Trunks' own. "Do not worry, koi…It'll be alright…….So…when's the soonest we can leave?" The lavender haired teen took a sip of his tea, glancing thoughfully up at the ceiling fan overhead.

"Tonight, if you want. The time machine should be fully charged by now."

Shasta got up from her seat and brushed the creases from her gi, a smirk crossing her face. "Then what the hell are we waiting for?! Let's get going!" The lavender haired demi-Saiyen shook his head and laughed. "Can't I at least say goodbye to my folks first?"

~*~*~*~*~

"You two stay out of trouble, ya hear?" Jack said with a tone of amusement in his voice as he watched the two teenagers climb into the hatch of the time craft. Trunks took a seat in front of the control panel and checked that all the lights were green, meaning everything was working fine. He grinned and gave a thumbs up before flicking the hatch control switch. The enormous glass dome slowly came down with a dull clunk.

"Adios, Trunks! You'll be in our heart always!" Rosabella and Mia yelled, over the roar of the jet boosters. The two demi-Saiyens waved through the glass one last time before the craft raised up off the ground, accending on it's journey through time. In a burst of brilliant white light, the craft vanished from view.

The image of the ground below was soon replaced with a mass of swirling colours, having just entered the vortex through time. Every imaginable colour swirled all around them in an never-ending tunnel of colour. It was so unbelievably psychodelic that it almost made Shasta feel dizzy looking at it.

"Wow…. It's so…….groovy…!" Trunks exclaimed, awe-struck as he peered out of the hatch. Shasta leaned back in her seat and folded her arms over her head. 

"Mmm…..I'm glad I was able to see this…not everyday you get to travel through time, huh?" she let out a soft chuckle and closed her eyes for a moment, imprinting the swirling colours deep into her mind where she could keep it forever.

"Needs some music though…."she muttered in a dazed sort of voice, opening her eyes halfway. She watched as Trunks pulled a capsule from the pocket of his denium jacket and materialized it, revealing a small, black leather CD case. He unzipped it and peered inside, flicking through the numerous discs with his brow furrowed.

Soon, he had found a CD he liked and placed it into the player on the control panel. All at once, a melodic rock ballad began to play. "Ooooh…..I absolutely adore this song!" Shasta squealed, sitting up with a smile on her face. Trunks chuckled and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Mmmmm….so do I.." he whispered, closing his eyes and getting lost in the music..

Emerald green eyes looked up to meet with sapphire blue. A soft smile crossed Shasta's lips as she rested her head on his strong shoulder. Trunks responded by wrapping his arms around her, holding her close to his chest as he gently tugged at the ribbon in her hair, letting her wild hair flow freely like a waterfall of crimson spikes before letting his fingers sieve through the soft, silky locks.

Gently purring sounded from the cat-girl's throat as the lavender haired teen stroked her hair, his free hand running up and down her spine. In turn, her purring got louder and the only logical thing she could do was capture his lips in a passionate kiss. Trunks responded by moving his hands to entwine hers, gently pushing her back against the soft leather of the seat, never once breaking the kiss.

"Mmmm…Trunks…." Shasta whispered softly, hands moving to wrap around his neck, pulling him on top of her.

"Shasta-chan……..I….I love you…." Trunks whispered into her ear as he moved to trail delicate butterfly kisses along the nape of her neck. A low groan escaped the red-head's lips, her hands moving to tug off his denium jacket. She wanted so much to feel his flesh on hers…. He was the only man she'd ever give herself to. He was her everything..her sun, her moon…her world.. She had loved him before she had ever loved boys…

And now she was expressing it in the best possible way. She had managed to tug off his jacket with ease and threw it in the general direction of the craft floor. It was the perfect setting for making love. The light from the tunnel cast a soft, golden hue on the craft…the music was perfect and above all else, it was with the right man..

She was vaguely aware of her own clothing being pulled off, having been lost in her own thoughts. With a smile, she reached up to kiss Trunks again, feeling his velvety lips against her own. A deep, purring growl resounded from his throat at this simply act of affection, but it was enough to know that he was feeling the same way as she. Bit by bit, items of clothing greeted the floor as they yearned to feel each other's fleash against their own.

"T..Trunks….I've….I've never done this before…" Shasta whispered, the tiniest hint of fear in her voice. Trunks smiled down at her and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Sssh….I won't hurt you….just relax…" he replied, nuzzling the nape of her neck. Very slowly, he shifted his hips and the young gat-girl could feel his arousal brush lightly against her inner thighs. A slight shiver ran all through her skin, sending up little, tiny goosebumps. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him against her body as he slowly entered her.

A gasp escaped her throat as a stinging pain jolted through her neither regeins, her back arching off the seat in protest. "Sssh…it's alright….."Trunks whispered sothingly, stroking her back with his fingertips. A tiny whimper resounded from Shasta's throat, but soon, she had relaxed enough to get used to the new feeling..

With a groan, the lavender haired demi-Saiyen rocked his hips slowly, his hands running up and down his lover's spine as he showered her lips and neck with passionate kisses. In return, the red-head buried her hands in the mass of silken lavender hair, groans of pleasure escaping her mouth between kisses. 

Soon, her own hips began to rock in time with Trunks, the sensations sending delightful shivers up and down her spine. Her fingernails dug hard into his back as he thrust slowly into her, his hands kneeding her breasts gently, feeling the silky smooth mounds of fleash.

"Sh….Shasta-chan……..!" Trunks groaned, thrusting deeper inside of his lover. She responded by wrapping her legs around his waist in a deathgrip, a shriek escaping her mouth, so loud was it that it almost shattered the steamed up glass hatch.

Several times she cried out his name, one hand pressed against the glass as her back arched off the seat, an overwealming sensation of intense euphoria washing over her body.

Trunks was groaning loudly, eyes shut tight as he felt his release draw closer. His entire body was shaking in the prelude to orgasm and it took most of his self-control to stop from going over the edge. Another cry of ectasy came from the beautiful creature trapped beneath him, signalling that Shasta had climaxed. 

Her walls tightened around him, sparking his own release. With one final groan, he released his seed deep inside her, before collasping, completely exausted, on top of his lover.

"Trunks….!" Shasta gasped, her chest heaving up and down as she struggled to get her breath back. Trunks took in a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair before resting his head on her chest, his entire body shaking.

"Shasta-chan………that was…..that..was…"his voice shook, his breathing fast and raspy as he lay on top of her. He felt long, slender fingers run gently through his tangled mass of lavender hair, feather-soft lips kissing his forehead. "….Incredible…" Shasta finished, closing her eyes as sleep over came her body. Trunks too felt oddly tired and it was'nt long before he joined the cat-girl in a peaceful slumber….

~*~*~*~*~

Sapphire blue eyes slowly fluttered open against the thin beams of golden light creeping into the time craft from the fogged up glass. A loud yawn escaped Trunks' lips as he stretched his body, his toes wiggling. He blinked several times, a crimson blush flashing upon his face when he realised what he'd been using as a pillow.. Shasta groaned softly in her sleep, a smile upon her tanned face. Trunks grinned and took one of her cat-like feet in his hands.

Slowly and very gently, he ran his finger tips along the soles, earning a tiny giggle from it's owner. Trunks' grin widdened as he ran his fingerips up and down the underside of her foot faster….

"N…no! Please! Ahahaha! Trunks! Stop it, you evil, evil monkey! Ahahaha!"Shasta squealed, eyes fluttering open and becoming very wide. The lavender haired demi-saiyen chuckled and let go of her foot, moving up to kiss her good morning.

Still giggling to a degree, the cat-girl responded by running her fingertips along the base of his spine, near the tiny scar were his tail once portruded. He purred softly into her neck at the feeling, his left foot twitching slightly.

"Last night…..was…wow…!" She whispered, ruffling his hair playfully. Trunks smiled and kissed her again, rolling onto his back and lying next to her on the spacious sofa-like seat, one arm folded behind his head, the other entwined with one of Shasta's.

"I aim to please."he replied with a smirk. The red-head rolled onto her side to face him, looking amused. "Well, you can't deny THAT!" They both chuckled heartily, enjoying the peace and tranquility of morning. Trunks looked out of the window, one hand wiping away the mist that had gathered on the glass during their night of passion..

"Looks like we've reached our destination……good thing this is a secluded spot or we'd be arrested for indecency!" he exclaimed, laughing. Shasta shook her head and sat up, pulling on her underwear before trying to figure out were her bra had gotten to.

"You're silly, you know that?"

The lavender haired demi-Saiyen smirked at her, flashing a set of pearly white teeth. "I know…that's why we're so great together!"

Shasta rolled her eyes and fastened her bra before pulling on her tub top and gi pants, occasionally glancing out of the glass to check for peeping Toms.

"Hey, Shaz? Have you seen my boxer shorts?"

~*~*~*~*~

Once full dressed, the pair of love-struck teenagers set off on their misson. After he had decapsulized the time machine, Trunks took the young red-head's hand and together, they both flew high above the clouds, the sun's warm rays pleasently warm on their skin. A few hours had past as they flew, scanning the area for any sign of the Capsule Corp or some other familiar landmark when Shasta stopped in middair.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, a sudden jolt of pain shooting through her forehead. With a soft gasp, she raised a hand to rub her temples, a look of confusion upon her face.

"What's wrong?" Trunks queried, hooving beside her in middair.

"I…I think I had a vision…….it was faint…but I could see a large…"

"…Icejin space crusier…?!" Trunks finished, with shock in his voice. Confused, the red-head glanced over at what he was staring at. Sure enough, a large, dommed battle cruiser was descenting it's flight, landing in the centre of a great rock quarry several hundred feet below them.

"Frieza…" Shasta said quietly, not sure exactly sure how she knew that…Shaking her head, she followed Trunks as he landed silently among the folliage that covered most of a small cliff-edge, a short distance away from the ship.

"Ssh….." the lavender haired teen whispered with a finger to his lips. They both watched curiously as the ship's main hatch opened with a low hiss, a small cloud of dust rising up from the ground. A large figure appeared in the doorway, face partially obscured in the shadows. What little of his body that could be seen was covered in scars and off-colour patches of unknown materials, several metal plates covering milky white skin.

The figure stepped out of the shadows and into the daylight, revealing a bald, patchy head covered with a clear purple dome, two meancing red eyes staring out from darkened sockets lined with black. It was uncertain if the creature was male or female, but there was no doubt that this was Frieza. From what the two demi-Saiyajins had heard, he fitted the description.

Both remained silent as two more figures appeared beside Frieza,one an enormous demon with dark mauve skin and a head partially covered by a horned helmet made from white bone. The second figure was crouching on all fours and judging by the thick, heavy chains dangling around her neck, she was clearly a slave. She certainly was'nt human, as her petite, frail-looking body was covered in pinkish-red fur, save for her chest, were more than a generous amount of tanned cleavage could be seen. Her face was humanoid, but her nose and mouth were oddly cat-like and her eyes…her eyes were the same timeless shade of emerald green as Shasta's own…..they too were scarred by years of abuse.

A thin lion cloth of grubby brown fabric was tied loosely around the slave's waist, a furry red tail twitching animatedly behind her. Her hair, deep crimson in colour and cut into a spikey bob, was untidy and matted with dirt and dried blood, what little bare skin she had covered in an assortment of scars and bruises.

"M….Mother….?" Shasta whispered quietly, a dull ache resounding in her heart as it beat unnaturally fast in her chest……

Trunks eyes widdened momentarily, staring at the slave girl before turning his attention to Shasta, who was on the verge of tears..

"Gosh…they were'nt kidding when they said you look just like her…"he whispered, placing an arm tenderly around her shoulders in a bid to comfort the young red-head. She let out a soft whimper and wiped her tears away on the back of her hand, glancing over Trunks' shoulder to were Frieza and his lackys stood several feet below. 

Her hand clenched into a fist, brow furrowed in anger. "Let's attack him together…."she growled through gritted teeth, her ki flaring up slowly. 

"Easy….we have to bid our time 'till-"

The lavender haired teen was interupted by a loud cry of agony from below the cliff-face. He turned his head in alarm, staring down into the canyon where he saw the cat-girl slave lying on her side in a foetal position on the ground, squealing in agony as King Cold pumped several thousand volts of electricity through her body with a cattle prod.

"Do not give your king an attitude, slave! Now, tell us how to summon the Eternal Dragon or you shall feel the hot end of my cattle prod!" King Cold yelled, kicking the poor slave sharply in the gut.

"UGH!" the slave groaned and coughed up a small amount of blood, slowly pulling herself into a crouching position. Her haunting, emerald green eyes locked onto King Cold's own harsh onyx, a glare fixed upon her pretty face.

"I will…never…..tell….a…tyrant like…you…!!!" she shrieked, much to the demon king's displeasure. He growled angerly and raised his cattle prod once more, getting ready to strike…

****

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The sound of cold steel cutting the air interupted the din. Before King Cold even had a chance to react, he was blow away by a single, golden ki-ball. His back slamming into a wall of jagged rock, his spine shattering in several places. Slowly, he raised his head to glance upon his attacker..

The last thing he saw before death embraced him was a Saiyen…with hair of golden fire, glaring down at him with rage in sapphire blue eyes….

"FATHER!" Frieza yelled, running at full speed towards the attacker.

"Hey, Frieza!!" a female voice yelled from somewhere near the ship. The evil tyrant looked up with shock, seeing Shasta standing attop the ship, her blood-coloured hair blowing in the wind all around her, sword in hand and a look of hatred upon her face.

For a fleeting moment, Frieza visualized Goku in the position where she stood and his blood ran cold. Before he could wonder if the two were related, the young red-head jumped up into the air, sword held high above her head. A loud war cry escaped her lips as she brought the blade down with such force that it sliced the Icejin in half as if he were made of butter.

Several well-aimed slashes later, and Frieza was reduced to sushi. 

"That was too easy…" Shasta exclaimed in a bored tone of voice, as she bent down to help the slave girl free from her restraints. Once free from the chains, the slave tried to run, but the young red-head grabbed her wrist in time.

"Wait! I'm not gonna hurt ya! We're the good guys! You don't have to suffer at Frieza's hands any more." She said soothingly, staring deep into the slave girl's eyes, identical to her own. A moment of uneasy silence passed before the slave girl spoke in a soft, gentle voice similar to Shasta's own yet more gracefull…

"I am eternally gracefull that you rescued me…I was beginning to loose hope of anyone ever coming to my aid…"

Trunks waved a hand casually in the air, powering down to his normal state and flicking a silken lock of lavender from his eyes. "Glad to be of service, miss." He said politely. The slave girl grinned, flashing a set of pearly white canines and rubbed the back of her head.

"Doh! Where ARE my manners? I'm Arailani, a survivor of the siege of Gaia Ari."

Shasta's brow furrowed. "Gaia…..Ari?"

Arailani nodded and flicked a stray lock of deep crimson hair from her eyes. "Hai. It is my home planet…or WAS….that bastard Frieza blew it up for his own twisted pleasure several years ago. Ever since, I've been a slave on his ship, forced to perform wanton acts of carnallity…" she paused to shudder slightly, folding her arms over her chest. 

"But, those days behind me. I am now in your debt….how can I ever repay you for rescuing me?"

A soft smile crossed Shasta's lips. "Promise me that you'll tell me all about it sometimes….and perhaps answer a few questions I might have.."

Trunks placed a hand on the young red head's shoulder, squeezing it gently."Wanna stick around..?" he whispered softly, more of a fact than a statement. She nodded slowly and placed her own hand over his, her smile widdening.

"Aaaah! Young love! It's such a beautiful thing!" Arailani exclaimed, her eyes big and shiny. A flash of crimson appeared on the two teenager's cheeks which in turn, caused Arailani to chuckle heartily.

"Don't be bashful……Oi….I could really use a shower.." she sighed, sniffing under her arm and wrinkling her nose at the scent. Trunks sweatdropped and whispered into Shasta's ear.

"Wow…she even SMELLS like you..!" he said jokingly, only to get elbowed in the ribs. Rolling her eyes, Shasta oftered the younger incarnation of her mother a ride to the Capsule Corp, where she might get a chance to bathe…..however, before they could set off, a group of familiar faces appeared in their wake..

"Whoa! That was AMAZING!! Taking King Cold out with one shot…!" came a voice Shasta hoped she'd never have to hear again. She turned on her heals, her eyes darkened, as she found herself staring face to face with a much younger version of her birth father…

Yamcha was'nt much different from how she'd remembered, save for being clean-shaven and younger looking. His hair was shorter than she remembered but it was still the same man. He was dressed in a tight white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans and he stared back into her emerald green eyes with amazement in his own.

A low growl sounded from the red-head's throat and she quickly turned away, deliberatly shoving him as she brushed past him towards Trunks, who had a bemussed expression on his face. His eyes were no longer on her, but staring straight ahead at someone.

Shasta glanced in the direction he was facing and her eyes widdened in supprize…

Trunks' father, Vegeta, was standing a short distance away, looking extremly disgruntled with a nasty scowl on his face. It was a far cry from the solemn half-smiles they both knew and it was almost scary to a degree. His hair remained the same as always: Lethally spiked and swept up into a flame shape, pitch black with the darkest of purple highlights. He was also about 3 inches shorter than usual and dressed in a rather peculiar outfit consisting of canary yellow slacks, neon green high-top sneakers and a ludicrisly pink shirt with the word "BADMAN" written across the back.

It took all of Shasta's self control and common sense not to burst out laughing. Vegeta must have heard her supressed giggles, however, as he turned to shoot her a very ugly look. Instantly, she she became frozen to the spot, an icy chill running down the small of her back. This was'nt the Vegeta she knew…he was too….well…EVIL….

The young red head was just starting to think that she was in the wrong timeline when she heard another familiar voice, this time a woman she had admired for many, many years. Turning in the direction of the voice, Bulma was clearly in sight.

Instead of her usual, waist-length plait, her hair was styled into a large, aquamarine afro, sitting like a large, blue cream puff attop her head. Her wonderfully feminane figure was dressed in a VERY short dress that was cut just short of her thighs, made of a red material covered in black stripes and red leather knee-boots covered her slender calves. 

She was looking curiously at Trunks, her sapphire eyes scanning him up and down as she took a few steps forward. A smirk crossed over Shasta's face when she realised what was about to happen….

"Why, hello there, stranger!" Bulma said in a flirty voice, batting her eyelashes at the lavender haired teen. Trunks looked absolutely mortified, his face flushing an interesting shade of red as the past incarnation of his mother continued to flirt with him. He cast a pleading glance at Shasta, who simply giggled, wishing so much that she had a camera right now…

Glancing over her shoulder, Shasta saw Vegeta. His eyes were fixated on Bulma and his face showed a mixture of longing combined with jealousy. He sighed and bowed his head slightly, meeting the red-head's gaze.

He flushed pink and folded his arms, glaring at her. "What the HELL are you looking at, brat?! Have'nt you ever seen a pink shirt before?!"he snapped, his voice much more hoarse than usual.

The young red head gulped and scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Heh! Sorry! It's just that the colour is SO you!" she replied with a smirk. The look on Vegeta's face after that coment was enough for even the most fearless of warriors to go running home screaming to their mothers..

"Vegeta, be nice! She's our guest!" Bulma's voice came, sounding exasperated as the slender young woman approched Shasta.

The Saiyen Prince simple snorted. "I don't care if she's the Emperess of Japan, woman! The brat won't stop staring at me!"

Bulma smirked and nudged the red-head playfully with her elbow. "Aaaaah! SOMEONE has a crush on Veggie-head!"

The teenage demi-Saiyen's eyes widdened and she almost fell over from shock. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAA?! I so do NOT! It's just.." she leaned over and whispered to Bulma about how she had seen Vegeta gazing longingly at her.

The young scientist blushed and turned away from Vegeta, absently twirling an aquamarine curl around her little finger. "Aaah….I see…."

"Besides, that lavender haired cutie you were flirting with is my boyfriend." Shasta replied, shaking her head.

"EEE!! Gomen nasi! I did'nt know! He sure is cute, tho…where'd you find him?"

A soft sigh escaped the young redhead's lips as she glanced lovingly over at Trunks, taking in the sight of his unruly, short lavender locks, his gently muscular figure…and his beautiful sapphire eyes. She smiled and closed her eyes, breathing in some of his wonderful scent as the wind picked up, her hands clasping together over her heart.

"We've know each other since they day we were born….and we've been friends our entire lives…only recently did we become lovers, and I cannot imagine my life without him.." she replied in a dreamy tone of voice.

"WAAAII! That's so beautifull!!" Bulma and Arailani squealed in unison, their eyes taking up half of their faces as they gazed upon Shasta with admiration. The teenager blushed slightly and giggled, rubbing the back of her head as she always did when bashful…

Vegeta shook his head, a tiny hint of a chuckle escaping his lips. "Women….damned if I can ever understand 'em…"

****

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

End Chapter 5

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~*~*~*~*~*~


	6. Chapter 6

****

~*Days Of Our Lives*~

By Shasta

*~*~*~*

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DISCLAIMER:I do not own Dragonball Z. Now begone before unleash my stealthy ninja penguins upon thee!

****

~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 6: The Arrival Of Son Goku

~*~*~*~*~

Never before had the Capsule Corp mansion been so full of life. Everyone was so excited about the defeat of Frieza, raving on about the two mysterious strangers who had rid them of an evil menace.

Shasta sat down on a tartan blanket in the shade of a large oak tree located in the spacious grounds of the manor. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she felt at home. She had so many fond memories of this mansion….remembering how every summer, she and Trunks would attempt to drown each other in the pool with their little 'Most Death-Defying High-Dive' contests or simply lie in the shade of the enormous oak tree, the 3 adorable Labrador puppys Trunks once owned curled up in their laps…

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she took a dreg from her glass of iced tea, the cold liquid soothing her dry throat. This place was home….yet, at the same time…it was'nt..

"WOMAN! More barbique sauce on these ribs!" came the hoarse, throaty voice of Vegeta, who was sitting a short distance away at the pool-side picnic table. The young red-head shook her head woefully. This could'nt be the Saiyen Prince she knew….could it..? She watched from her spot under the oak tree as Bulma walked out of the house, hands on her hips and a frown upon her pretty face as she glared at Vegeta.

"Listen, you! My name is BULMA! B-U-L-M-A! And I am NOT your damn servent! You may have gotten everything handed to you on a silver plater back in your own home, but you're in my house now, Mister! And I demand you show some respect!" the blue haired woman practicaly screamed, slamming down a bottle of barbique sauce on the table with such force that the glass nearly cracked.

Vegeta looked at her, an unimpressed look upon his refined features. He folded his arms and let out a snort. "Woman, I am The Saiyen no Ouji. If anything, you should be giving ME respect!"

"UGH! You are such an unculturated piglet!" Bulma growled, throwing her arms up in outrage. A smirk crossed the burly Saiyen's face, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. 

"And you, my DEAR Bulma;" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "…are a harpy! Now, go get me a damn napkin!"

"GET YOUR OWN DAMN NAPKIN, YOU STUPID MONKEY!"

And with that, Bulma sulked back into the house, muttering angry curses under her breath. A large sweatdrop rolled down the side of Shasta's temple at the scene, her eyes wide with shock as Vegeta chuckled mirthlessly to himself, taking a gulp from his bottle of beer. Suddenly feeling that someone was watching him,he turned his head in the cat-girl's direction, arching an eyebrow.

"Why must you CONSTANTLY stare at me?"

Getting up from her seat, Shasta walked towards him, a scowl on her face as she shook her head at the Saiyen Prince. "Really, Vegeta…..that was'nt very nice. Bulma has given you food to eat and a place to live…and you treat her like shit. Geez, can't you be a LITTLE bit gratefull for what she's done for you?" she said exasperatedly.

"If I wanted YOUR opinion, I'd have beaten it out of you, brat!" Vegeta retorted with a glare, taking another gulp of beer before leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the table. He closed his eyes and tilted his head up to the sky, completely oblivious to everyone and everything around him.

"Ya know, If you REALLY wanna score with her, you should try being a little bit nicer for a change…" Shasta said, with a sly edge to her voice. At this, Vegeta's eyes snapped open, widdening with shock as a tell-tale blush set his cheeks ablaze. 

"W…What are you talking about, brat? I do NOT wish to…..'score'…with the Earthling!"

A soft giggle escaped the teenager's lips at the site of the Saiyen prince blushing. She shook her head and laughed, with only seemed to infuriate Vegeta even more. "You don't have to hide it with me, Vegeta-san. I know what you feel towards her..and I know she feels the same about you…."

Vegeta's blush intensified but he chose to remain silent.

"I can hear your heart race at the very sight of her….I can see the longing in your eyes when you look at her…she makes you feel like you're floating on air….like you can't breath….you want her….you NEED her…..and you can get her…if you just be a little more sensitive…"the red-head whispered sincerely.

The raven haired Saiyen looked curiously at her, the frown disappearing from his face.

"Who are you?"

Shasta bowed her head. "Promise not to breath a word to anyone about what I'm going to tell you?"

"…Very well."

The red-head cleared her throat. "This is going to sound very peculiar, but trust me, it's the truth…my name is Shasta and like the lavender haired boy that accompanys me, I come from the not too distant future. We will both be born 2 years from now, to very different people. I myself….." she hesitated slightly, wondering if she should tell him about her linage…

"…I am the first and only niece of Son Goku…"

Vegeta's eyes widdened with shock. "Are you meaning to tell me that you are the spawn of Katarokk's idiot brother?!"

The red-head let out a snort. "Idiot does'nt even begin to describe my father…no, to put it lightly, cruel-hearted son of a bitch seems so much more fitting, in my opinion.."

The Saiyen prince arched an eyebrow at this, eyes darkening. "Hnn….He is certainly an idiot, but why must you speak ill of him to such an extreme?"

A sigh sounded from Shasta's lips. She had never told anyone other than Trunks about her troubled childhood and even then, she could never reveal the sorrid details… but she felt as though she could trust Vegeta with her past. Her hands involentarily clenched into fists as she prepared to reveal all, but before she could do so, Vegeta spoke first.

"He……abused you, did'nt he?"

His voice was a direct contrast to the stern tone he'd used before. Instead, it was soft and sympathetic, his eyes darkened and his expression unreadable. 

"How…?" Shasta's voice came, sounding weak and frail from her throat.

"I can see it in your eyes, child…they have a glazed over look from years of torment….I can tell. I've suffered the same when I was your age. Taken from my family as a meer boy…forced to bow before that tyrant Frieza as he seeked the Eternal Dragon in the hope for immortality…if he was not shown proper respect, he would beat me and do things so horrific to me that I could'nt even begin to explain….but thanks to you, he's dead…for good." Vegeta said, still in that soft, whispering tone of voice.

"….The same for me and my father….I was told he turned to drink after my mother died giving birth to me..growing up, I was blamed for everything that went wrong in his life…for so long, he told me I was the reason my mother was dead….a…and I believed him…….for so long, I was told that I was weak and selfish that I….believed it myself. He died when I was 10 years old, along with the rest of my family…..but seeing him again now, it brings back all the painfull memories, y'know? I don't know….I don't know what to feel anymore…"

Shasta's voice trailed off, her shoulders shaking as she supressed tears of anguish. Vegeta rested one hand on her shoulder.

"What does he know? From the way you took out Frieza, you are most certainly not weak! You are a strong warrioress, worthy of your Saiyen birthright. And when I say something like that, I MEAN it."

The young red-head looked up, her eyes slightly wet from the few tears that had escaped her eyes. "….Thank you…" she whispered softly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"It is alright….and do not worry. I will not tell a soul about your linage. But I must ask…who is your mother, for you remind me of someone that just can't place?" Vegeta queried with curiousity in his voice.

A soft smile crossed the teenager's lips as she glanced across the lawn towards the guest house, where Arailani was dangling upside down from the balcony by her tail, engrossed in a book she held in her hand. She caught Shasta's gaze and grinned, waving to her upside down.

"…Arailani is my mother." Shasta said, waving back at the cat-girl as she returned to her book.

Vegeta's eyes widdened momentarily at this piece of information, but he nodded solemnly and leaned back into his chair, staring up at the sapphire blue sky thoughtfully.

"Interesting…." He mumured, more or less to himself. He was just about to say something when a loud grumbling noise could be heard from under the table. A sweatdrop rolled down Shasta's temple as she raised one hand to rub the back of her head sheepishly.

"Eh heh! I guess I inheritated my uncle's enormous appitite!" she peeped, grinning cheesily and baring a near-uncanny resemblance to her Uncle Goku. Vegeta chuckled softly and shook his head.

"No shit, Sherlock…" he muttered…

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion from the forrest area on the outskirts of the city. "What was that?!" Vegeta yelled, jumping up from his seat, ready to battle. The red-head rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.

"Looks like Goku's home!" she exclaimed with a grin.

****

~*~*~*~

Everyone raced towards the canyon on the outskirts of the city, the area where the time machine had first appeared. At the bottom over a VERY large crater in the middle of the canyon was a small, pod-like spaceship, much like the ones used by the Saiyens during planetary invasions.

The hatch opened softly with a small hissing sound, a cloud of steam rising up in the air. A figure steps out of the craft, face partially obscured by the steam, but there was no mistaking that lop-sided black hair…it was Son Goku, the self-confessed protector of Earth.

He grinned that world famous grin of his as he dusted off his clothes. "Hey, guys! Miss me?" he queried, cocking his head to one side as he scanned the crowd with his chocolate brown eyes. Trunks stepped forward. "I'll fill him in on what's been happening…" he whispered as he passed by Shasta. She nodded slowly and glanced over at her uncle with a smile upon her face.

He was just as she remembered: Tall, stocky and forever grinning that infamous grin of his. His clothes, however, were completely different to the orange and blue gi he always wore. Instead, he was dressed in a brown gi with scratched silver armour half covering his chest, a white puffy collor around his neck.

She watched as Trunks lead him off to a secluded spot in the canyon so that they could talk.

"Gee, I wonder what they're talkin' about.." Krillen queried with one eyebrow arched. Vegeta smirked to himself in a 'I-know-something-you-don't-know' kind of way, but remained silently, nodding curtly to Shasta...

Suddenly, everyone was caught off guard as Goku exploded into Super Saiyen status, raven black hair turning golden blonde, a golden aura surrounding his body.

"Whoa! He just changed his hair colour!" exclaimed Arailani, her eyes wide with awe. Vegeta was looking livid, his fists clenched by his sides, teeth grinding angerily.

__

"GODDAMNIT! You're always one step ahead of me, Katarott!! What is it?! WHAT IS THE SECRET OF YOUR POWER?!" he thought angerily as he folded his arms over his chest, resisting the urge to and beat his rival to a bloody pulp…

At that moment, Trunks too turned Super Saiyen, his short lavender locks turning blonde and extremly spiky. He moved one hand up to grasp the hilt of the sword that was rested in the holster on his back and in one fluid movement, pulled it out and aimed it directly at Goku's head. The older Saiyen, however, did'nt even flinch.

"What? Why did'nt you try to move out of the way?" Trunks queried, looking puzzled. 

Goku chuckled. "I suspected that your feelings would hold you back..I knew you'd stop, so I was not in any harm.."

Trunks smirked and absently swirled his sword in his hand. "Hmm….I see…very well then…this time, I won't stop!" And with that, he jumped high into the air, aiming slash after slash at the burly Saiyen, only for each and every blow to dodged by a simple flick of Goku's finger.

After several minutes of ceaseless slashing, Trunks finally stopped and slid his sword into the holster on his back. From where they stood on the cliff, everyone watched as the two Saiyens returned to their normal states.

"Hey…that guy put his sword away…" Gohan exclaimed curiously, as he watched the saga unfold before him.

"Yah, and your dad put his finger away…" said Krillen.

**__**

(A/N: Goodness, the yaoi mental images! Ahahahaha! * ^_^* )

Shasta sat down on a large, flat rock, knowing all too well what Trunks was saying. He was explaining what was to happen in several years from now..the arrivial of the androids….the…the deaths of his loved ones…

An icy shiver ran down the red-head's spine at this thought. Her body tensed and her hands clenched involentarily by her sides. She never wanted to experience a night like that which had claimed the lives of her loved ones…ever…again.. 

One slender hand reached up to massage her temples, as if trying to rub away the mental scares that still plagued her to this very day..

"Hey, are you alright?" Yamcha's voice came, a hand resting on her shoulders. With a shriek, the teenager jumped up and turned on her heals, a very ugly look on her face as she glared coldly into the dark brown eyes of a man who looked so much like one who had made her suffer a world of pain…

"Touch me again…and I'll personally fuck you up!" she growled, throwing the raven haired Saiyen's hand off her shoulder.

Yamcha looked quizzically at her, head cocked to one side. "Geez, I was only tryna help.."

"I DON'T NEED YOUR FUCKING HELP!!" she practically screamed, eyes ablaze. She did'nt want to unleash her anger at this time, but just the meer sight of him…the very thought of him…even the sound of his voice…made her blood boil. She felt raw fury surge through her veins as her eyes bored into Yamcha's, wanting so much to reach out and make him suffer for all the pain he had inflicted upon her….

She was vaguely aware of Vegeta's strong-yet-gentle hands grip her firmly by the shoulders. "Calm down, Neko-onna…"he said coldly, his expression unreadable. Shasta looked up at the Saiyen prince with anguish, as if pleading him to let her seriously maim Yamcha.. he knew all too well her pain, but he would never let her reduce herself to Yamcha's level of scum…

"Someone care to tell me what's goin' on?" Yamcha queried, scratching his head in confusion.

Shasta growled at him with such ferocity that it was as if she was a lioness waiting to strike. Making a noise of disgust, she turned away from him, not wanting to look at his face. Closing her eyes against tears that threathened to fall, she spoke softly, voice barely above a whisper.

Three simple words escaped her lips…..

__

"I hate you…"

****

~*~*~*~*~

After what felt like hours, Trunks and Goku finally finished their conversation. They both joined the others at the cliff-top, where they got many stares from the members of the Z-Warriors who did not know the truth….

Trunks glanced over at Shasta, who was sitting on her rock, clenching her fists, her entire body shaking. Vegeta was standing by her side, shaking his head. He looked up curiously as the lavender haired teen approched, watching him cautiously as he sat down next to the young red-head..

Arailani watched the two, her arms folded across her chest. She cast a wary side-ways glance at Yamcha, who was racking his brains in an attempt to figure out what he'd done wrong.

"I wonder why she hates you so much.." she queried, turning her attention back to the two mysterious teenagers. She shook her head and sighed heavily, her blood-coloured locks of short, unruly hair swaying with her movement.

"Normally, I would try to delve into her mind to locate the problem, but her mind is clouded…it is difficult to read…"

Yamcha looked up at this, brow furrowed in confusion. "You can read minds?"

Arailani nodded and stared down at her feet, a slight blush rising up on her cheeks. "Y..yes…I am a Nekonian female, which means I have psychic abiltiys. From an early age, I could predict events before they happened….I could read the minds of others and I can even move objects with my mind. It comes in handy sometimes…but I never take advantage of my power…only when it is necessary…"

The raven haired Saiyen arched one eyebrow and smirked devilishly. "Oh really? And uh….what am I thinking right now?"

The red-head cat-girl chuckled, her blush intensifying. "You're wondering if I'll go on a date with you…"

Yamcha's eyes widdened momentarily. "Well…that was a pretty lucky guess!"

"Heh….Think you can predict my answer, Yamcha?" Arailani queried with a sly grin. The burly Saiyen put a hand to his chin and thought hard for a moment….

"..Yes?"

Arailani smirked and ran a long fingernail under his chin as she walked past him, swinging her hips provocitivly. "Well….that was pretty lucky guess!" she replied, her voice seductive and sultry as she batted her eyelashes at him from over her shoulders.

Only one thing was running throught Yamcha's mind at that moment…

….Cold shower….

****

~*~*~*~*~

"Hey…what's wrong?" Trunks queried, snaking his arms around the red-head's waist as they lay in bed together that night..

Shasta let out a sigh and wiped away a few stray tears that had escaped her eyes. She turned her head slightly to glance at him from over her shoulder, her facial expression unreadable. "I'm sorry, koi…it's just…..being in this time zone….it brings back painfull memories.."

The lavender haired demi-Saiyen sighed and gently kissed her shoulder, nuzzling his head against the nape of her neck. "I understand how you feel….but Yamcha does'nt know what he's done…I'm sure if you told him, he'd try to put things right."

Shasta turned over on her back to face him, her eyes wet with tears that threatened to fall. "I..I can't…I'm not like you, Trunks…I'm not strong..I..I have no courage….I'm a failure…."

"No, you're not! Shasta-chan, listen to me.." Trunks took one of her hands in his own, staring intensely into her eyes as he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.. "…You're kind, sweet.. funny… and you're so great at everything you do…"

The red-head let out a sniffle and rolled on her side, her back to him as she clenched the sheets in her hands, curling up into a foetal postion. "How…how can you love a fool like me..? I can't even stand up to my own father…!"

Trunks moved closer to her, wrapping one arm around her waist, the other moving up to caress her cheek as he planted soft kisses along the nape of her neck. "I know what you've been through…I know it hurts, but you overcame it…you DO have courage, Shas….and that's one reason why I love you.." he breathed in her ear, resting his head on her shoulder.

He felt the red-head move her hips to press against his, her breathing coming in slow, deep breaths. "Then…show me how much you love me…" she whispered, rolling over on her side to face him. Sapphire blue eyes gazed into green with a look of sadness…

"You're feeling vulnerable right now…it would'nt feel right…"

"Please, Trunks….I need to know that you're not gonna hurt me like everyone else in my life…" the red-head whimpered tearfully, leaning into his chest as her body shook with suppressed sobs. Trunks shook his head and held her close to him, holding her protectively in his arms as she cried as though her heart was breaking. For all Trunks knew, it was….

"Please don't cry…Shas, I promise;" he kissed her forehead and pulled her closer to him. "..I will never, ever hurt you…you have my word, and I never break my promises. I do love you…more than words can say…"

A sniffle resounded from her throat as Shasta looked up at the demi-Saiyen, cheeks shining with fallen tears. "Tr…Trunks…." She whispered, closing her eyes and burying her face in his chest, sobbing once more untill she slipped into an uneasy sleep….

****

~*~*~*~

It was early in the morning when Shasta woke up. She blinked several times, feeling dried tears sting her eyes. Groaning, she crawled out of bed and wrapped one of the bedsheets around her naked body as she crossed the room towards the bathroom. Her stomach ached painfully and she had a sudden urge to throw up. Getting down on her knees, she crawled to the toilet and pushed up the lid, the wave of nausea overwealming.

Once she empthied the contents of her stomach, she stood up and stared hard at her reflection in the mirror over the sink. She looked a wreak. Her hair was one big tangle of spikes and curls, stiking out in all different kinds of directions. Her skin was pale and there were faint black rings under her eyes, which were also pink and blood shot. In her opinion, Shasta thought she looked like death warmed up…

After a quick shower, she changed into some of the clothes she had brought with her: a plain black shirt and baggy blue sweatpants. Walking downstairs, she was supprised to find Bulma and Arailani sitting at the kitchen table, deep in conversation. However, they both looked up upon the young teenager's entery.

"Oh! What on earth are you doing up so early, dear?" Arailani asked, as Shasta took a seat down at the table and buried her head in her folded arms.

"I don't feel very well…I threw up about 5 minutes ago.." she groaned, her stomach doing a backflip in agreement. Bulma and Arailani looked at each other, wide eyed. "Uhhhh, Miss? You…you have'nt had any unprotected sex lately, have you..?" Arailani queried, going red in the face.

Shasta snapped her head back up, wide-eyed with alarm. "WHAAA?! Damn, Bulma! That was a personal question! And don't you DARE say I might be pregnant! I'm on the Pill, I'll have you know!" she squealed.

Bulma rubbed the back of her head in anxiety. "O..kay then… sorry…. It's just, for a moment, it sounded like you had morning sickness….but it's probably just a bug.."

"Dear Kami, I hope you're right, Bulma…"

Shasta sighed heavily and buried her head in her hands, fingers running through her tangled hair. Arailani rubbed her back soothingly. "Hey, hey! Don't worry…I'm sure it's just a cold. Methinks there's been one floating around somewhere…" the elder red-head stroked her chin in thought as she leaned back on her chair.

"So..uh…whatever your name is…could you answer a question of mine?" Bulma queried, propping her elbows up on the table as she drank from her mug of coffee, peering at Shasta from over the rim, brow furrowed.

"Firstly, you can call me Shaz and secondly, I'll answer your question, so long as it's not TOO personal…eh heh!" Shasta said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. The blue haired woman nodded and took a sip from her coffee mug before setting it down in front of her.

"What's the deal with you and Yamcha? Seems he pisses you off a lot.."

Shasta's eyes darkened. She bowed her head low, her fists clenching involentarily, as they always did whenever THAT name was mentioned…

"Yamcha and I….we have a history together…"

Bulma leaned forward, propping her head up in her hands, looking curious. "Oh? He was your boyfriend? What did he do? Did he cheat on you..?!"

"No! Nothing like that… he just…. He abused me when I was younger…………I'd……..I'd rather not talk about it."

There was a moment of stunned silence that seemed to last an eternity. The three women looked uneasily at each other, daring each other to speak. The silence was deafening, the only sounds being that of the clock ticking softly and the quiet breathing of the three females.

"What…kind of abuse?" Arailani peeped, breaking the uneasy silence.

The teenager shook her head and moved one arm, tugging up her shirt sleeve to reveal a mass of scars and bruises, as well as a long red scar running along her wrist.. "Physical….but to honest, the way he hurt me emotionally was a lot worse…so bad it was that I tried to commit suicide at one point…."

"Yamcha did this?! B-but I don't understand! Yamcha is a gentle man! He would'nt hurt a fly unless it was diving head first into his potato salad!" Bulma cried, eyes wide with shock. A few tears escaped Shasta's eyes as she rubbed them with the back of her hand.

"Not the Yamcha I know…ever since my mother died, he'd abuse me none stop, blaming me for her death…"

Arailani shook her head and placed a comforting arm around the younger cat-girl. "He's your …father…?" she whispered gently, tenderly flicking a stray lock of magenta away from her future daughter's eyes. Shasta smiled weakly at this display of comfort and let out a small sigh. She nodded slowly, watching as Bulma's mouth fell open in shock.

"Oh my Kami! I..I don't believe it!" she cried, clamping a hand to her mouth.

"It's true…a fact I am ashamed to admit..even to myself…. To admit being related to that no good son of a-"

"Uh..am I interupting anything?"

The three women looked up in horror as Yamcha walked into the kitchen, looking tired and sleep deprived. He walked towards the counter-come-bar and poured himself a glass of Vanilla Coke, leaning against the wall. Shasta narrowed her eyes, a low growl instinctively sounding in her throat. Yamcha arched an eyebrow at her, setting his glasse down on the counter.

"I don't know what your problem is, but don't take it out on me!" he snapped, folding his arms over his chest.

Shasta was about to jump out of her seat and pound the living crap out of the burly Saiyen, but thanks to Arailani, she was effectively restrained. The young red-head took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"As long as you stay the hell out of my way, I have'nt got a problem." She replied, shooting Yamcha a deathglare that would stop Vegeta dead in his tracks. Yamcha narrowed his eyes at her, but said nothing as he picked up his glasse of Vanilla Coke and proceeded to disappear down the hall, into the living room of the Capsule Corp.

Bulma shook her head at the display. "Really… I know in your timeline, he treated you like crap, but he's done nothing wrong so far!"

Shasta stood up from her seat. "Maybe so, but he's still a good for nothing piece of shit to me, no matter what bloody timeline I'm in! You two just don't understand the pain I had to endure because of …of…HIM….." she whispered coldly, tears stinging at her eyes. Turning on her heals, she crossed the kitchen and flung open the back door, walking out to the oak tree at the end of the garden, slamming the door behind her.

Growling to herself, she sat down crosslegged in the shade of the old oak tree and leaned back against the rough bark of the tree trunk, folding her arms over her chest. It seemed no matter where she went, there was always SOMETHING to remind her of the abuse she'd suffered as a child. The universe just would'nt allow her to forget. Shasta wanted to scream in frustration, she was so full of rage, but instead settled on punching a hole through the trunk of the oak tree…

"Are you deliberately trying to kill the tree or are you just royally pissed off?" came a grainy voice from somewhere high up in the branches. Shasta looked up, a pink tinge of embarrassment suddenly flashing across her cheeks.

"Oh….Mornin', Vegeta…you're up early…" she mumured sheepishly. This was met by a soft chuckle from the Saiyen Prince. He extended his hand to pull her up onto his branch and soon, she was sitting crosslegged before him, a look of frustration upon her face.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Vegeta queried, leaning back against the tree trunk with one cargo shorts- clad leg dangling off the branch.

"It's Yamcha….just the very sight of him makes me wanna go kick the crap outta him.." Shasta growled, folding her arms in a huff. Vegeta placed a hand on her head and sighed.

"Don't let him get to you. If he infuriates you again, just ignore him….or glare at him. Make it known that you're not to be messed with."

"Hai….Thanks, Vegeta." Shasta bowed her head in respect. She let out a sigh and glanced out beyond the branches, towards the view of the ocean, where the sun was forever climbing up over the horizon.

"So, what are you doing up this early? Training?" she queried.

Vegeta shrugged and folded his arms behind his head. "No, just meditating…it is quite peaceful in the morning…I ask the same question to you, onna. You look somewhat off colour today.."

The young red-head sighed and lay back against the branch, flat on her back. "I was'nt feeling very well this morning…some kinda stomach ache, I suppose…no biggy.." She let out a loud yawn and wiggled her toes as she stretched her muscles. Vegeta sat up, brow furrowed in confusion. He tilted Shasta's head forward, checking for any sign of injury or rash..

"Hmmm….interesting.." he mumured to himself.

"Wha? What's interesting, Vegeta-san?!"

Vegeta smirked to himself, his onyx eyes twinkling in a knowing kind of way. "Nothing you should worry about, onna…"

****

~*~*~*~*~

The hours passed by in a hazy blur and all too soon, it was time for the two mysterious strangers to head back to their own timeline….

"Before I go, I want you to take this medicine." Shasta said, handing Arailani a phail of clear purple liquid. The elder red-head looked curiously at the small bottle of medcine, brow furrowed in confusion. "Uhh…thanks….what…is it?"

" Not too long from now, you'll develop a heart diease that will eventually rob you of your life. There's no cure for it in this timeline, but in my world, there is. Take that medicine as soon as you feel heart pains and you'll be fine. For your health." Shasta said, with a small smile gracing her lips.

Arailani grinned and held the phail between her finger and thumb, staring at the contents with wonder. "Thanks! Oooh.. it's purple! It must be grape flavored!" she exclaimed, much to everyone's amusement. The elder cat-girl smiled and pocketed the medicine. She then moved her hands up to undo the clasp of the necklace around her neck, removing it and pressing it into Shasta's hand.

Upon looking down at it, Shasta found it to be an ornate silver pentant, detailed with a green diamond dragon coiled around a silver sword, dangling from a delicate silver chain.

"On my planet, the emerald dragon is a symbol of peace, love and happiness. May you have much of all three throughout your life, dear." Arailani said, bowing to the red-haired teenager.

"Thank you so much, Arailani… it has been a pleasure to have met you at last." Shasta said, taking the elder red-head's hand into her own. She glanced over at the small group of people that had gathered in the grounds of the Capsule Corp, waiting to see off the two teenagers as they returned to the future.

She smiled solemnly and clutched the necklace close to her chest. "I guess I'll be seein' you guys later!" she chuckled, climbing into the time machine, were Trunks was busy setting the co-ordinates. As she settled down into her seat, Vegeta stepped forward, smirking knowingly. "You three have a safe journey."

"Sure thing, Vege-hey, waitaminute.." Shasta queried, going wide-eyed, but before she could question Vegeta, the hatch came down over the craft and the jet engines surged to life.

"I wonder what he ment by that…" Trunks said, looking confused. With a shrug, he looked out of the hatch and waved to the crowd of people below as the time machine began to rise up in the air.

Shasta leaned on the dash board, staring down at her mother Arailani, a sincere smile on both their faces as they waved to each other.

__

"Mother…you're so kind and sweet…and smarter than your years. It was great to finally meet you at last. We are the same, you and I…and deep down, your heart beats like my own… I will always love you… fare thee well, young mother… may the good spirits keep you safe…" she said to herself, as she waved one last time, the dragon necklace clasped tightly in her hand as the people below disappeared in a flash of white light.….

****

~*~*~*~*~

The trip back to the future, unlike the one to the past, was completely uneventfull. Having gotten bored of all the marvelous flying colours of the warp hole, Shasta felt extremly tired and decided to settle down to sleep in Trunks' arms. No sooner had she closed her eyes did she begin to dream…..

__

She was standing on something clear…be it glass or still waters, she did'nt know… her reflection was that of herself, portrayed as a scared 5 year old, dressed in a ragged pink dress, hair tied in two ponytails and face riddled with cuts and bruises. Shasta bent down to touch the face of the scared little girl, but as she did so, the surface beneath her shattered into a million pieces, sending her falling down an endless black hole.

She tried to scream, but her voice was quiet and distant, echoing in the eternal darkness…

With a soft thud, she landed face down on a hard floor. It was so dark…and so quiet… it was unnerving…

Getting to her feet, she walked a few steps forwards, arms stretched out for any sign of a light switch or something to remove the darkness… suddenly, there was an almighty flash of white light. Unsheilding her eyes, Shasta saw Yamcha standing before he with white flames surrounding his body, smirking that evil, sadistic smirk of his that she knew all too well. He took a step forward and for a fleeting moment, the young red-head thought he was going to harm her…but instead, a cry of agony echoed through the semi-darkness, not at all from her own lips.

She watched, horrified, as Yamcha was replaced with an image…no…a memory…she saw herself at aged 6, standing on a soapbox as she washed dishes in the kitchen sink. Shasta walked towards her chibi self, watching to reach out and help her…

"Hey…" she asked softly, grasping a dishcloth off the draining board, "Need some help?"

Her chibi self looked up at her, emerald eyes big and shiny, a large black bruise located under the left. "…" the little girl spoke no words. She simply went back to drying plates and stacking them neatly on the counter beside her.

Shasta felt an overwealming feeling of needing to protect this young girl… she reached out to gently stroke her chibi self's cheek, but at that moment, the silence was interupted by the sound of a plate smashing to pieces on the hard tile floor…

The young chibi's eyes widdened and before Shasta could even speak, she found herself being shoved into the kitchen closet…

"The fuck was that…did you break this plate…?!" came the voice of Yamcha, as he staggered into the kitchen, drunk off his ass with a whiskey bottle in one hand. Shasta watched through the cracks in the wood as the burly Saiyen grasped the young chibi roughly by the shoulders, shaking her violently.

"DID…YOU…BREAK…THIS…PLATE…?!" Yamcha screamed at her, sneering at the tears that fell from the chibi's eyes.

"I…I did'nt mean to! I…It's was an accidentt! I swear! Daddy, I'm sorry!" the chibi whimpered, holding her hands over her face to defend herself. Watching from the closet, Shasta felt her stomach lurch. She could remember this day all too well…it was the day Yamcha had first put her in the hospital… she clenched her eyes shut, unable to watch what was about to happen next…

There was a sudden, sickening crack of bones breaking…

"YAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!"

A scream of intense agony came from the chibi, signalling that Yamcha had done something horrific…

"No…please…I don't wanna see this any more…!" Shasta cried, leaning against the inside doors of the closet, tears trickling down her cheeks… the closet doors were sudden replaced by the image of Orange Star City, lying in ruins from the android attacks. She saw herself, at aged 10, kneeling beside the dead body of Gohan, tears pouring down her face, mingling with the rain that fell from the darkened sky…

It was heartbreaking to watch, seeing herself crying hysterically as her 10 year old self clung to Gohan's body, covered in his blood…

"STOP!! PLEASE! NO MORE SUFFERING!! I DON'T WANNA SEE IT ANY MORE!!" Shasta screamed, clenching her eyes shut. She felt a rush of wind as her surroundings faded once more to black.

Opening her eyes, she found herself standing once more on the thin layer of glass, a spotlight shining down on her from somewhere above… she looked around curiously, a shiver of fear running up her spine.

"Hello…?" she called out, voice echoing in the darkness…

There was a sudden sound of footsteps behind her… she whirled around on her heals, to face a tall woman, no older than 16 at the very least. It was someone Shasta did'nt recodnize, yet she looked vaguely familiar.

The woman was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a white tanktop under a faded blue denium jacke that was old and thred-bare, covered in innumberable rips and tears… Emerald green eyes gazed vacently out from under a vail of long, shoulder length lavender hair, wore in loose curls that cascaded down the mysterious woman's back.

"Who..who are you…?" Shasta queried, taking a few steps forward. As she did so, the mysterious stranger seemed to grow distant. "I am Trinity." The woman said, her voice soft and haunting…she beckoned Shasta to follow her as she walked onwards into the endless black abyss…

They were suddenly standing attop a cliff-edge, looking down upon an epic battle. The young red-head watched in horror as a young Gohan stood before a great mushroom cloud, looking horrified. He shouted something, but his voice was replaced by meer silence…

A tall figure emerged from the mushroom cloud, made only from a ghostly white mist. Shasta was suddenly aware of Trunks standing before her. She sighed in relief and flung her arms around him…only for them to fall right through…

"Wh…What is this..?!" she cried. Trinity blinked slowly, folding her arms behind her back.

"This is what is to come…"the lavender haired woman replied, her voice dead and vacent…

There was a sudden flash of golden light and a gasp of pain, followed by a thud. Shasta whirled around on her heals, only to meet a sight she had hoped she'd never have to see…

Trunks lay on his back in the dirt, eyes wide with terror and a large, gapping hole blown through his chest. He gasped for air, a gurgle of blood oozing from his mouth. Shasta cried out in anguish and sank to her knees by his side, unable to take in what lay before her.

Her beloved Trunks was dying…from what, she did'nt know, but all she knew was that the single greatest treasure in her life was being snatched away before her very eyes. In despiration, she turned to Trinity, who simple stood before her, blinking slowly and seemingly unfazed by what just happened.

"PLEASE! Please…help him…!" Shasta cried, eyes becoming wet with tears. Trinity simply shook her head.

"Forgive me…but it is what is fated to come…I cannot interfere…"

"PLEASE! He's dying! Trinity! Why won't you help him…?!"

Trinity began to slowly fade away into the background, her image becoming blurred and unfocused.

"I am sorry…Mother…"

"N…No…! T…T…TRUUUUUUUUUUU-----------UUUUUUUUUNKS!!!" Shasta screamed, cradling her fallen love in her arms, trying in vain to help him.

"Shasta…" he breathed, reaching a hand to caress her cheek.

"Shasta…"

"Shasta…!"

****

"SHASTA!"

The young red head awoke with a jolt, vaguely aware that someone was shaking her awake. She gasped for breath, looking up to see Trunks standing over her, face contorted with worry.

"Shasta! Are you okay? You were screaming in your sleep! What's wrong?!" he queried, helping her sit up as she pulled her knees to chest, sobbing into her kneecaps.

"I….I…I think….I think I saw what lies ahead for us…" she whimpered…

"Huh?"

"D…Death….." Shasta whimpered, before her eyes rolled back into her skull, prompting her to pass out unconcious against the seat….

****

~*~*~*~*~

End Chapter 6

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	7. Chapter 7

****

~*Days Of Our Lives*~

By Shasta/Vanilla Twist

~*~*~*~

__

Disclaimer: *as Yoda* Own not do I Dragonball Z.

****

Chapter 7: Secrets Revealed

~*~*~*~

Emerald green eyes slowly flickered open against against the harsh white light overhead. "Ugh.." Shasta groaned as she raised a hand to sheild her eyes, her body shaking as she tried to sit up. She found herself to be sitting in her own futon bed in the mansion of her adoptive parents, icey blue eyes staring down at her with concern.

"W…what…happened?" Shasta groaned, rubbing her face in a bid to rid herself of her sleepyness.

"Appears that you passed out on the ride over…" came a voice she instantly recodnized as belonging to 'Sven'. Rubbing her eyes, she found herself face to face with the raven haired man, who was kneeling by the side of the bed. He looked tired and sleep deprived, but his eyes were alert and alive, as they always were…

He let out a yawn and moved to seat himself beside her, arching his back in a much-needed stretch. "So, how'd things go in the past?" he queried, running a had through his untidy mass of raven black locks.

"How…d'ya know about that?" Shasta queried, bringing her knees to her chest as she glanced puzzled at him, brow furrowed in confusion.

"The boy you were with…he told me everything. Shasta, why did'nt you tell me you were off to change history?" Seventeen said exasperatedly, placing one hand tenderly on her cheek.

"I thought you'd say no…" the young red-head whispered, turning away from him. One hand reached up to massage her throbbing forehead, feeling the blood rush erraticly under her skin. Her stomach was clenched into a knot and she felt oddly dizzy. Groaning, she got out of bed and almost tripped over her skateboard in a bid to reach the bathroom in time.

Seventeen, concerned by her actions, followed her and watched in horror as she violently threw up into the toilet. "Oh my Kami…! Are you alright?!" he yelled, sinking to his knees beside her as she retched. He rubbed her back gently, holding her hair from her face as she buried her head in the porceclain bowl..

"What's wrong with…me….?!" Shasta groaned, hiccoughing slightly. Seventeen put an arm around her shoulder, his face unreadable as he stared into her eyes. 

"Shasta…….are you….?"

But the red head could'nt reply. Her stomach had just given an almighty lurch and once again, her head disappeared into the bowl as horrible retching noises echoed off the cold tiled walls of the bathroom..

****

~*~*~*~

Once she had recovered from her vomiting spell, the young red head made her way downstairs, staggering into the kitchen, were she found Seventeen and Trunks sitting at the table, expressions unreadable. 

"Hey…..how're you feeling?" Trunks queried softly, looking up at her with deep sapphire eyes full of concern. Shasta sat down in front of the pair and folded her arms on the table, resting her chin upon them. "I'll live.." she croaked, glancing around the dimly lit kitchen.

"Where's the bitch?"

Trunks looked quizzically at Seventeen, brow furrowed in confusion. The raven haired man shook his head in amusement and sighed. " She means my wife. No, she ran off with the midget next door about a week ago…"

"A week ago? But we we're only gone for two days!" Shasta exclaimed in alarm. Seventeen shrugged and took a dreg from his coffee mug. He sighed heavily and loosened his shirt collor before giving the young red head a sad look.

"Both of you, I have a confession to make.."he said, staring down into the dark brown water in his mug. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Shasta…what I'm about to tell you is going to seriously alter what you think of me… but I want you to hear my side of the story. I kindly ask for no interuptions, please."

"What are you talkin' about, Sven?" Shasta queried. The raven haired man sighed and shook his head.

"My name's not Sven. It's Seventeen….the one who played a role in the destruction of Satan City 10 years ago.."

Trunks eyes widdened, a look of intermingling shock and disgust upon his face. Shasta jumped up from her chair, her eyes darkened. She backed away untill she was pressed against the wall, her eyes never leaving the man she thought she once knew.

"You…….you….you killed Gohan…..my….my family…." She said, her voice an icy whisper, eyes narrowing dangerously. Seventeen stood up and held out his hands before him, a look of pleading upon his rugged features.

"You…you don' know, Kitty-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!"

Seventeen whinced at this. He sighed and sat back down in his chair, one hand reaching to run through his raven black hair. He looked up at his adoptive daughter with sadness in his ice coloured eyes, silently begging for forgiveness..

Trunks glared at the android, his face like thunder. One hand balled into a fist by his side.. "You killed my father…for your own pleasure….you bastard….YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!" he screamed, reaching to land a strong punch on Seventeen's left cheek.

The android groaned and coughed up a tiny amount of blood, along with several of his own teeth. He rubbed his jaw where Trunks had punched him and looked up pleadingly. "I deserved that…" he croaked, turning his gaze to the dirty wooden floor beneath his feet.

"You deserve far worse things…things worse than death…I'm going to make you suffer, make you feel all the pain you inflicted on my family!" The lavender haired demi-Saiyen growled, ki flaring to dangerous levels. However, a gentle hand grasping his shoulder prevented him from bursting into Super Saiyen. He turned to look pleadingly at Shasta.

She stared deep into his sapphire eyes with her own emerald green pair. "Maybe he deserves to be beaten to a bloody pulp, but that's only going to lower you to his level of scum. At least let us hear his side of the story before we condemn him." She whispered, brows furrowed.

"But-"

"Judge not, lest ye be judged."

Seventeen smiled gratefully at the young red-head. "Thank you, Sha-"

The cat-girl turned to glare coldly at him, her eyes burning into him like lasor beams. She motioned for him to remain seated as she sat down in front of him, her mouth nothing more than a thin line.

"Shut up. Now… tell us your side of the story. Tell me why you killed my uncle…why you killed all that I loved and held dear to my heart.." she said, her voice unnervingly calm and collected. Seventeen stared into her eyes, trying to tell her how much he regretted his actions, but all he could find was hatred. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily.

"Perhaps I should start from the beginning…"

**__**

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
Ten Years Before….

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Eighteen, should we really be doing this? There's not much point to it all…" Seventeen said exasperatedly as he walked along the sidewalk behind the lethally blonde android as they headed towards an enormous corperate building, at least 100 storeys high…

The shapely blonde turned to glance at her partner behind her back, a scowl upon her features. "Oh, c'mon, Seventeen! I'm tired of robbing liquer stores and and pharmacys! If we want a reputation as criminals, we gotta strike fear into the people, baka!"

The raven haired android sighed heavily and shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing up at the upper floors of the building with a sense of uneasiness. "I dunno, Hunny-Bunny…this is a whole lot different than robbin' a liquer store…I mean, DAMN! Killin' people for the sake of it?!"

Eighteen sighed and turned into a bak alley, Seventeen close behind her. "Listen to me, Sev…If we blow up the building, there'll be a bounty on our heads… we'll be FAMOUS! Like Mikey and Mallory…Butch Cassidy and Jesse James…. Bonnie and Clyde! Don't you wanna be famous, Pumpkin?" she said, pressing the raven haired android against the brick wall, her light grey eyes flickering seductively.

"There are other ways to get famous that don't involve killing people!" Seventeen exclaimed, trying to ignore the fact that the blonde was trapping him between herself and the wall.

"Sorry, Sugah… but this is the only way we'll go down in history…" she purred in his ear. "Besides, if you really loved me, you'd do it. After all, you DID say you'd do ANYTHING to please me…"

Seventeen sighed and rubbed his face in exasperation. "Eighteen…I don't wanna become a murderer…robbin' a few booze stores is one thing but murder…I don't wanna go to jail! Do you have any idea what they DO to guys like me in jail?!" he said, going wide eyed.

Eighteen drew her lip in, her eyes taking on a hurt expression. "You don't love me…"she whimpered, on the verge of 'tears'…

"No, no, Hunny-Bunny! I do love you! I love you more than anything!"

"Then prove it. Blow up the Stock Exchange building. Tonight."

The raven haired teen sighed heavily and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. "…As you wish."

This was met with a satisfied noise, followed by Eighteen's lips on his own. "Mmmm… good boy. Now…we have at least 4 hours till nightfall…" she looked around the alleyway. It was deserted… she smirked and kissed Seventeen roughly, delving her tongue into his mouth as she snaked one hand down the front of his jeans.

"D…Don't…" Seventeen groaned, but it was useless. Eighteen was the dominant one in this relationship and she'd never stop till she got her way, even with him. He let out a raspy sigh, ignoring the feeling of his girlfriend's hand down his trousers… why did'nt he end this when he had the chance?

Then he remembered…

…The sex was damn good…

~*~*~*~

A low sigh escaped Seventeen's lips as he peered out of the enormous window before him, over looking a view of Satan City, watching the tiny ant-like people below go about their buisness. He was inside an office on the 134th floor of of the building, sitting on a desk in front of the window. He was kicking himself inside. WHY was he doing this? WHY did he let Eighteen boss him around like this?

He was being manipulated…he was a puppet and Eighteen was the puppet master.

A weak chuckle escaped Seventeen's lips as he hummed the opening lines to 'Master Of Puppets', wallowing in his own guilt…

"#Enter passion play…crumbling away… I'm your source of self destruction…#" he hummed softly, getting up from the desk and pacing around the office, wondering if he should just end this charade once and for all…

"#Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear…lean-ing on your death's construtsion…#" he hummed, folding his arms over his chest. Eighteen was not going to happy when he told her the news…He sighed and continued humming, pacing endless around the ramshackled office…

The door suddenly swung open, and in steps the blonde herself. She smirked, holding up a small box with a T-shaped plunger. "The bomb's rigged, Pumpkin…let's get this party started!"

The raven haired android sighed heavily. "You're insane…"

"I know… and I love every minute of it!" she squealed, planting a soft kiss on his lips, closing her eyes as her arms snaked around his neck before pushing down the plunger. The floor beneath them shook violently and all at once, the sound of innocent people screaming could be heard. Eighteen smirked against her lover, her fingers running through strands of silken ebony, her icy grey eyes glinting maniacly.

Seventeen bowed his head in defeat.

What had he done..?

~*~*~*~

****

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

About a year or so later…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Seventeen walked silently down the dirty tarmac road, not really caring were he was going… all he wanted was to be alone with his thoughts…to wallow in his own self-loathing, away from Eighteen…

A soft sigh escaped his lips, breath visable in the cold December air. His cold blue eyes looked up into the sky as delicate snowflakes fell from a sky of dark black, his boots padding softly in the crisp white snow. All around him, he could see people going about their buisness, bustling about in a bid to buy last minute Christmas gifts. Seventeen never truly cared for Christmas, due to the fact that Dr.Gero and Eighteen completely over looked this particular holiday…

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his snug-fitting jeans and walked onward, listening to the sound of the passersby…

He soon came to a deserted street, eerily silent save for the very faint sounds of the inner city in the distance…He was standing before a great, red brick building, covered in years of moss and mould, the brickwork slightly decayed. There was no-one around save for a young girl, 11 years old at the least, sitting on the steps of the building in a thin pair of denium dungerines, emerald eyes staring absently out onto the snow.

Seventeen cocked his head to one side, wondering what she was looking at…

"Trunks…" he heard the young girl whisper, watching as she buried her head in her hands and cried softly, her entire body shaking in a mixture of sadness and cold.

The raven haired android felt an overwealming urge to comfort this young girl, a pang of guilt in his heart. No doubt, he had robbed her of the one she called 'Trunks', all because he valued his own life than countless others…but now he could make up for his past sins… maybe not entirely, but still…he could give this girl another chance…

Walking through the snow, he kneeled down before her, a good 2 feet seperating them…

"Hey, miss…what are you doing out here all alone? You'll freeze!" he said gently, a tiny smile playing on his lips. The girl looked up, brushing a stray strand of cherry red from her eyes, forever cold and vacent.

"The cold does not bother me…I've felt worse things in life…" her voice was far away and distent, with the air of mourning in it's quiet tone.

Seventeen moved forward and sat down on the step beside her. "Your parents..they..they died that day…?"he whispered.

The girl turned away from his look, burying her head in her hands once more as she wept, her shoulders heaving as she cried..

Seventeen could feel his heart break inside his chest as he watched this, his guilt paining him more than ever. He had hurt this girl, no doubt…but now, he was going to set things right once and for all…

~*~*~*~*~

"….And that's basically the whole sorrid story.." Seventeen said as he finished his tale, head bowed in shame as he felt a pair of emerald green eyes bare down upon him. Shasta walked towards him, her expression unreadable.

"..Part of me….part of me knew that it was you…who killed them….but I refused to believe it.. untill now, that is.."

The raven haired man looked up at this, his eyes searching hers.

"Shasta-chan…please forgive me. Believe me when I say that I've regretted that day ever since it happened…but I have never regretted, not for one second, adopting you and giving you a place to live..nothing can ever erase the pain I inflicted all those people..but at least I was able to give someone a second chance… I'm not asking you for anything except for your forgiveness. I made one foolish mistake and as long as I'm alive, I'll forever regret it…"

Trunks took a step forward, his brow furrowed dangerously. The red-head placed one hand on his chest and shook her head, motioning for him to remain quiet. She turned to glance over at the raven haired man, her face sad and stony.

"….I suppose I could forgive you…with time……..after all, you WERE more of a father to me than my biological one, so I guess that accounts for something….but it still won't bring back Uncle Goku or Cousin Gohan….or Trunks' family…."

"Shasta, I-"

"I don't know what to think right now……" Shasta whispered, staring down at her feet. "….I'm going away for a while..to think things over…I need to take all this into account."

Trunks cocked his head to the side and gazed curiously at her. "Where do you want to go?" he whispered gently, stroking her shoulder soothingly. The red-head did not reply, but instead, looked up into his eyes, her own full of sorrow. The lavender haired teen understood and wrapped her into an embrace.

"I'm sorry…for everything I've ever done…" Seventeen whispered, his voice hoarse with supressed tears. He got up from his seat and walked towards the back door, his entire body shaking. Glancing over his shoulder one last time at the pair of teenagers, he shook his head and exitted the room, the door banging shut behind him…

"I..I can't believe..that all this time….he …he was the one responsible.." Trunks whispered, hands clenching involentarily into fists as he shook with pent up rage.

"This is a shock to me too, Trunks….I can't quite forgive him..but he IS my father… if not in blood, then in spirit….he was more of a father to me than Yamcha ever was…I just need some time…" Shasta sighed, leaning against his chest and nuzzling against him.

Trunks rested his chin ontop of her head and held her close to him, rocking her very gently in his arms. "……You wanna get out of here?" he whispered. The red-head nodded and wiped away a few tears she never realised she had shed. An eerie silence hung in the air as they both exitted the mansion, away from the home Shasta thought was her own…

****

~*~*~*~*~

Waves crashed against the shore, turning the sand a darker shade of gold. The clear, cool ocean water spilled over the couple's feet as they walked along the shore, the sun setting in the distint horizon.

"…Beautiful evening, huh?" Trunks whispered, glanced across the ocean were the sun was slowly sinking into the sea, glowing bright like a gigantic orange dragonball in the sky. Flecks of gold and purple streaked the sky as it slipped from evening into night. A calming breeze blew through the teenager's hair, brushing several strands of silken lavender into eyes of sapphire blue.

"Mmm…it's quite peaceful out here.." Shasta responded, pushing a stray lock of crimson out of her ashen face. As much as she tried to hide it, the lavender haired demi-Saiyen could tell that she was troubled.

He sighed heavily and placed one arm around her shoulders in a comforting way, feeling her head rest on his shoulder in response. They both sat down on a large flat rock looking out to sea, the only sound being that of several seagulls calling into the approching night and the gentle rush of the waves.

"He was an android….all this time, I was in the care of the one who massacared my family….."Shasta whispered, a single tear trickling down her face, leaving a shiny wet trail in it's midst. Trunks pulled her close to him and wiped away her tears with his thumb as he took her chin in his hand.

"I know..I know……this is hard for me too…ssshh…don't cry…it's okay…"he whispered, running his fingers through a mass of crimson spikes. Soft whimpers came from the young red-head, her body shaking as she cried into his chest. They sat like that for what felt like hours..the sun had disappeared into the ocean, replaced by a clear cresent moon, casting a silver glow over the waves.

Shasta had inevitably cried herself to sleep in Trunks' arms, her face buried in his chest and snoring gently, the occassional whimper resounding from her throat. The lavender haired demi-Saiyen smiled softly and picked her up in his arms, a white aura of wispy flames surrounding his body as he flew back to his own home, cradling his beloved like a fragile china doll….

Soon, the black wroth-iron balcony outside his bedroom window came into view, the double doors left open in the hot October heat. Ghost-like tendrils of silvery silk curtains billowed out from the doorframe like tenicles, wanting to entice Trunks inside…he landed softly on the wooden floor of the balcony and sighed to himself. This was probably going to be the last time he ever returned home..

Walking to his room, he lay the sleeping cat-girl down on the bed and tucked her in under the thin sheets. Kneeling by her side, he leaned forward and planted a soft, delicate kiss upon her forehead. Shasta stirred slightly in her sleep but did'nt awaken. Trunks moved to brush a tendril of silken crimson from her face, feeling the soft locks slip through his fingers.

"I'm going out for a while….If I'm not back in the morning, do not worry….I just need to think things over, Shastania-chan.." he whispered softly, placing one last kiss upon her lips before he crossed the room and walked back onto the balcony. Looking back over his shoulder to the sleeping woman, he sighed heavily and took off into the night, the silvery-white flames surrounding his body creating a streak of silver behind him…

****

*~*~*~*~*~*

#Oh, what a bea-uti-ful mooorning! Oh, what a beauti-ful daaay!# came the voice of Rosabella as the sound of her singing echoed from the kitchen, rousing the young red-head from a turbulent slumber. 

Groaning loudly, Shasta swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat on the edge for a moment, eyes clenched shut as the blood rused around her body. Her stomach felt as thought it had hit by a sledgehammer, she was dizzy and a wave of nausea over came her. Clamping one hand to her mouth, she got to her feet and pulled open the bedroom door, almost knocking over Trunks' foster sister Mia as she raced to make it to the toilet bowl in time.

"Hey, are you alright?" the turquise-haired teenager queried, peering into the bathroom were the crimson haired cat-girl was sitting on the floor, leaning on the toilet for support. She groaned and shook her head, glancing warily up at her.

"M..Mia..go get..your mom…" she croaked before her head promptly disappeared into the toilet again. Mia, slightly alarmed at this, quickly ran downstairs only to return several minutes later with her mother in tow. The bathroom door creaked open as Rosebella stepped into the room, her long green hippy dress swaying with her movement. She closed the door behind her and sat down on the edge of the bathtub, brow furrowed at the sight of Shasta throwing up.

"Shasta, sweetie, I think you should see a doctor.." she said, letting a small sigh escape her lips. The red-head looked up, eyes bleary and close to crying. She nodded and slowly got to her feet, her entire body shaking.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point there……….where's Trunks?"

"Did'nt he come in with you last night?"

The cat-girl wrapped her arms protectively around herself and closed her eyes, ignoring another wave of nausea as it passed over her. "He……tucked me in..but I did'nt feel his warmth beside me at all last night." She said, blushing slightly. Rosabella smiled sadly and placed her hands on the teenager's shoulders.

"He'll turn up sooner or later, child..don't worry. He's been known to wander off by himself to think things over. Trust me. He'll be back any minute now."

****

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Meanwhile…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Trunks let out a yawn, the only other sound apart from his breathing. He shifted himself to sit crosslegged on his rock, over looking theview of West Capital City. He was sitting on the very cliff were, ten years before, he had witnessed the city's destruction. He sighed to himself, folding his arms over his chest as a crisp morning breeze ruffled his hair.

He had been out all night, sitting here with only his thoughts for company. He was thinking about what he had found out over the past few days. It had chanced everything..knowing that all this time, his one true love was living with a man that could've murdered her in her sleep. An icy shiver trickled up the lavender haired demi-Saiyen's spine at this thought and he quickly pushed it away, refusing to dwell on that kind of mental image.

He had done a lot of soul searching and after many hours of lying awake on his back under the star-studded sky, had come to the conclusion that he could no longer stay in this timeline. There was too much turmoil here…too many bad memories..

He longed to return to the past and be with his true family…his blood….his own kind….and Shasta deserved to have a family too…she had lost so much more than himself, having lost the only people who truly cared for her….she deserved a chance to rebuild her life and escape all the pain that life in this world had to offer..

Trunks ran a hand through his hair, letting another loud yawn escape his lips. As tired as he was, he did not feel like sleeping. He had to inform Shasta of this disceasion, for it could change both of their lives forever….

With a rush of white flames, he took to the skys like a flash, leaving behind a trail of silver light as he sped off towards his foster parents' house….

Soon, he had landed outside the handsome oak pine porch deck, were he found Mia and Shasta sitting on the swinging bench, glancing out at the view of the ocean dead ahead. Upon his arrival, the older girl jumped up and ran towards him, flinging her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

"Trunks! Where have you been?! I've been out of my mind all day!" Shasta cried, holding the lavender haired man at arm's length. He smiled weakly and brushed a lock of soft crimson out of her eyes. Glancing over at Mia, who was watching the scene with a smirk, he motioned her to go inside so that they could have some privacy. Once the 14 year old was gone, the two teenagers sat down on the swing, leaning into each other.

"I'm sorry I worried you..I just needed to clear my head for a while..you understand, right?" he whispered, stroking her shoulder tenderly. Shasta nodded and rested her head on his shoulder, letting a sigh escape her lips.

"Hai..that I do…I was just worried when you did'nt show up for breakfast.. it's not like you to miss a meal!"

Trunks chuckled at this, shaking his head in amusement. He cupped her chin in his and and gazed lovingly into her eyes. "There are more important things to worry about, sweetheart.."he whispered, kissing her gently. The red-head sighed into the kiss, her hands reaching up to stroke his hair. She pulled back for a moment and smiled weakly. 

"You wish to return to the past.." she said, in a voice unlike her own. 

Trunks' eyes went wide at this. "How'd you know..?"

"I'm not sure myself, actually…but I do know this…" she replied, placing both hands on either of his cheeks. "…I'll go to the ends of the earth for you…I will follow you through the darkest forrests..through the hotest deserts…through the coldest valleys…I'll even follow you into Hell and back…..and I will follow you into the past. " she whispered, slowly sealing the gap between their lips with a deep, sensual kiss.

The lavender haired demi-Saiyen slowly snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her close as they kissed, feeling each others heat radiate from their bodies..

"I..I feel the same way about you, Shastania-chan….I'd never let anything happen to you.."he said, pressing his forehead gently against hers. She smiled softly and stroked his cheek with her index finger.

"Mmmmm…I love you.." she whispered, closing her eyes as he cradled her in his arms.

"As I do you.." he whispered softly, resting his chin on the top of her head and closing his eyes as they swung gently in the seat, a cool, ocean breeze blowing around them. It was a perfect moment…just sitting in a peaceful silence with a loved one…

Nothing could spoil this moment…..

"Oh, is'nt that precious!"

The two teens opened their ees, slightly alarmed, at the sound of Rosabella's voice as she leaned against the doorframe smiling down at them both. The two lovebirds blushed feverishly and quickly got up from their seats.

"No need to be bashful, dears! I was young once!" the raven haired woman giggled, relishing the embarassed looks on the elder woman's face. She shook her head in amusement and glanced over at Shasta.

"Oh, Shastania…the doctor's office called. They had a cancellation so you can go see him today. I made you an appointment for one o' clock, so get movin'!"

Trunks blinked in confusion, turning to the red head with his head cocked to one side. "Doctor's appointment?"

"Uh..yeah….I was throwing up this morning….and let's face it, Trunks..I can't just ignore it and hope it goes away!" Shasta replied, leaning against his arm as she shook her head. She glanced back over at Rosabella and smiled.

"I'll be ready in just a sec, 'kay?"

The elder woman nodded and headed back inside, leaving the two teenagers out on the porch. Trunks sat back down on the swinging bench, leaning forward slightly with his arms in his lap as he looked up at his beloved. "Makes sense….do you want me to come with you?"

Shasta smiled. "I'd like that." She said. Glancing at her watch, she sighed and folded her arms. "I better get ready…I have to be down there in a half hour.."

The lavender haired demi-Saiyen nodded and watched as she scooted up the few steps leading to the front door and disappeared inside….

****

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

About thirty minutes later….

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~

Emerald green eyes scanned the waiting room, seeing many people in various states of ill. Broken legs, chest colds, head trama…every kind of imaginable illness and injury was to be found in the waiting room of West Capital General Hospital. Shasta glanced to her right, were Trunks was sitting reading a magazine. Looking curiously at the cover, she found it to be a very old, dog-eared copy of _Bizarre!_ . The headline on the front was _"World's Fattest Couple Has World's Fattest Baby!"_, featuring a badly-doctored photograph of a Japanese family. 

Trunks appeared to be unamused, however, as he soon tossed aside the magazine in favor of leaning back in his chair with his arms folded behind his head and an expression of extreme bordom on his face.

Shasta giggled at this, shaking her head in amusement at the meer sight of him. He looked so child like and cute went he pouted, brows furrowed and eyes staring directly up at the cracked ceiling, a sigh escaping his lips. He turned to look at her, pout replaced by a shy smile as he moved one of his hands to clasp around one of hers. She smiled and nuzzled against him, only just closing her eyes when….

"Ms.Musashi?" came a scratchy, dead-tone voice. The red-head groaned in annoyance of having the little moment ruined, and stood up, brushing the creases from her denium dungerines and black t-shirt. She motioned to Trunks, who mimiced her movents, and soon, they found themselves following an elderly, chain-smoking nurse down a long corridor before turning into a large clinic filled with various medical instruments, including a bed, heart paddles and some very strange looking metal objects laid out on a tray that looked a bit like a set of salad thongs.

The door closed over softly as a man in a crisp white doctor's jacket entered room, peering at the pair through a pair of extremly thick, black rimmed glasses which seemed to magnify his eyes ten fold. He ran a hand absently through what remained of his wirey white hair and took a seat at his desk.

"Good day to you both! I'm Doctor Fishbourne and it's lovely to meet you! Now..er….which one of you is the patient?" he said, in a friendly, American-accented voice. Shasta pointed to herself, looking slightly nervous.

"Aaah! Good, good! Well, come take a seat on this here bed and I give you a check up.."

"Uh..should I leave..?" Trunks queried, moving to get up from his seat. The doctor raised a hand . 

"Oh, no…you can stay if you wish..if you must leave, I'll inform you.. Now then, Ms…" he asked kindly, turning to Shasta, who had seated herself comfortably on the large leather bed-come-sofa. She grinned sheepishly and said her name, which the doctor promptly wrote down on his clipboard. He put on a stetoscope and proceeded to do what every doctor does on a routine check up: monitor her heartbeat, take her blood pressure, look in her ears and throat and so on.

"Well, you seem perfectly healthy, a side from some slight inflamation of the throat…..now, tell me..have you been throwing up recently? This could account for the redness.." Dr.Fishbourne queried, as Shasta sat down in front of his desk. She gave Trunks a sideways glance before turning her attention back to the doctor.

"Actually yes…it started several days ago after we.." she pointed to herself and Trunks; "..came home from a..er…weekend away outside of the city..I think it might be a bug or something…"

Dr.Fishbourne removed his glasses, breathing on them before wiping them clean with a handful of his white coat before replacing them once more on the bridge of his nose. He put a hand to his chin in thought before reaching into his desk and producing a small cup with a white screw-top lid which he placed before Shasta on the desk.

"Well, we won't know the gist of it without a urine sample. There's a bathroom to your right there."

"Dr.Fishbourne, how long will the result's take?" Trunks queried, looking slightly worried as the red-head got up from her seat, taking the cup and heading towards the bathroom. Once the locked clicked shut behind her, the elderly doctor stroked his chin in though and smiled reassuringly at the young lavender haired demi-Saiyen.

"Oh, it should'nt take too long..a half hour at the very least…I have a slight suspision as to what's wrong with her…"

Sapphire eyes widdened slightly in supprise. "Oh? And that would be?"

Just as Dr.Fishbourne opened his mouth to speak, Shasta returned from the bathroom with a halfway full cup of the sample. She grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head, an embarassed blush rising up on her cheeks. "I..er…I did'nt dink much today…" she said, turning-if possible-even redder in the face.

The doctor laughed heartily and took the sample from her, labelling it before placing it into a metal hole-in-the-wall were a nurse was waiting on the other side to bring it to the lab. "If you'll kindly return to the waiting room, I'll have the results back in about fifteen to thirty minutes time."

****

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

About twenty minutes later…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Musashi! Ya results are back!" came the same old croaky voice from the chain smoking nurse as Shasta looked up from the game of Travel Scrabble she was playing to pass the time. Taking Trunks by the hand, they both walked into Dr.Fishbourne's office once more where they found him sitting behind his desk, smiling with his hands clasped together on the desk before him.

"Well, doctor, what is it? Is it a stomach bug or..?" Shasta queried, voice trailing off.

Doctor Fishbourne's grin got-if possible-even widder and he inclined his head at Trunks, who blinked in confusion. In one smooth motion, he held out his hand for trunks to shake, grinning broadly at Shasta from across the desk.

"Congradulations! You're pregnant!"

****

THUD.

Right on cue, Trunks had promptly fallen off his chair in a dead faint, his face drained off all colour. Shasta remained rooted to her seat, eyes widder than they had ever been in her life as she stared in disbelief at Dr.Fishbourne. Slowly, she regained some of her movement, her head slowly shaking as her eyes began to water.

"No…no…noooooo….!" She cried, voice barely above a whisper as she buried her head in her hands. She was pregnant…with Trunk's child…..

She was a teenage mother-to-be…..

****

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

END CHAPTER 7

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

__ ****

To Be Continued

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	8. Chapter 8

****

~*Days Of Our Lives*~

By Shasta/Vanilla Twist

__

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z…*sniffle*

****

Chapter Eight: Dreams

*****

"HOW CAN I BE PREGNANT?!" Shasta practically screamed, her head appearing to enlarge ten-fold as she stood nose-to-nose with Dr.Fishbourne, who was looking reasonably nervous. He chuckled weakly and polished his glasses with a handful of his coat and motioned for the hysterical red-head to calm down.

Trunks, having recovered from his fainting, slowly climbing into his chair. He look pale and drained, face devoid of all colour except for milk white. His eyes were very wide and his mouth was hanging open slightly. He glanced helplessly at the curtains, praying that someone who pop out from behind and yell "Smile! You're on Candid Camera!" but that moment never came.

The elderly doctor shook his head and produced a silver sake flask from his desk. "I know this has come as a shock to you-" he said, offering the flask to Trunks, who took it and drank heavily from it.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Shasta snapped, sinking back into her seat looking noticably paler. Dr.Fishbourne aggusted his glasses once more and clasped his hands together on the desk before him, apparently oblivious to the young woman's out burst as he continued.

"-Seeing as how Ms.Musashi here was taking contraceptive pills. As with every medicine, there is always a chance that it might fail and in this case, I believe nature gave you a pleasant supprise." He said with a smile.

The two teenagers looked worriedly at each other.

"Pleasant supprise..?! PLEASANT SURPRISE?! I'm a goddamn gymslip mom, for cryin' out loud!" Shasta cried, placing a hand to massage her temples. She got up and began pacing around the office, her head throbbing painfully. A sigh escaped her lips as she turned to face Trunks, who had regained some of the colour in his face. He smiled weakly at her and ran a hand through his hair, letting out a deep sigh.

"My own mother was my age when she was pregnant with me…and she died during childbirth..!" the red-head said, her voice dropping it's angery tone for one of fear and sadness. Dr.Fishbourne's eyes darkened. He shook his head and got up from his seat, leaning on the desk with his arms folded.

"I can understand your feelings…but in my opinion, I think it's great you're having a baby…after all, it's a signifigant symbol of the love between two people…but if you feel so resentful towards the foetus, there are the options of abortion…"

There was a gasp of shock from Trunks and once again, the colour drained from his face.

"-Adoption.."

A shudder from Shasta..

"Or you can keep it."

A long silence followed this statement, in which they all stared at each other. The tension in the air was so thick it could've been cut with a knife. It was a long time before anyone spoke, the silence finally being broken by Trunks, who cleared his throat and folded his arms before him before speaking.

"Now that I've gotten over the shock of it….well………I kinda like the idea of being a…a….a…father.." he said timidly, casting a nervous glance at Shasta, who looked as though he'd just slapped her in the face. Her mouth fell open, eyes widdening to a degree.

"Oh no..no, no, no! Aaaagh! Trunks! Do you have any idea how much is put in to raising a child?! Two a.m feedings..three am feedings..and not to mention the pain of childbirth..and the fiancial situation..AARGH!! We don't even have a place of our own to raise it! How are we gonna get through this?"

The lavender haired demi-Saiyen stood up and took one of the red-head's hands, staring deep into her eyes. "We'll find a way…we always do.."

Dr.Fishbourne cleared his throat loudly. "Um..well….." he stammered. The two teenagers looked up, their faces darkened. A bead of sweat trickled down the elderly man's temple as he cleared his throat and straightened his tie.

"Um…may we see how far along you are now?" he continued, motioning for Shasta to follow him in through a door behind his desk. Curious, Trunks followed suit, walking into a room that was fashioned simalarly to a dentist's office, except rather than a reclining chair, there was a large bed were several monitors lay inert at the left side.

"I think this will be most interesting." Dr.Fishbourne said to Trunks, who was watching with curious intrest as he ushered Shasta to lie down on the bed and pull up her shirt enough to reveal her toned stomach. Her brows arched in wonder as the doctor switched on one of the monitors and attached several electrodes to her stomach.

"What's he doing?" Shasta whispered to Trunks, who shrugged in a 'my-guess-is-as-good-as-yours' kind of way, only for them to be interupted by a small , pulsating sound…

Dr.Fishbourne turned the monitor around for them to see a black and white clip of a potatoe-shaped blob onscreen, moving gently every now and then.

"This is your baby." He said tenderly, a large smile on her face. The two teenagers remained silent, staring in disbelief at the screen as the foetus shifted about, one unrefined hand moving up to it's mouth as it sucked on the blob were it's thumb was located. The pulsating sound of a heartbeat could clearly be heard throughout the room as the sound echoed off the tiled walls.

"That's…that's our baby…"Shasta whispered softly, eyes never leaving the monitor as she reached out to take one of Trunks' hands. He smiled and rested his chin on the top of her head, his other arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen….." he breathed. She looked up at him, her emerald green eyes shining with the unmistakable twinkle of an expectant mother.

"You're gonna be a daddy.." she whispered softly.

Dr.Fishbourne smiled and glanced at the monitor with his head cocked to one side. Using the end of a pen, he pointed to the mid-section of the foetus.

"Okay…well, by the looks of things..you're having a little girl.."

"A girl…?" Shasta breathed, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. The elderly doctor nodded slowly.

"Yup…boy, this foetus sure grew fast….you say the symptoms started only a few days ago and yet, it looks just like a four month old foetus…! Remarkable!" he said, aggusting his glasses and pressing his nose against the screen. Trunks grinned widely.

"Saiyen cells. The gestation period for our species is less than four months. The women have a quick pregnacy so they can fight sooner. Dad told me when I was seven..during the old 'birds and bees' talk.."

Shasta's eyes widdened at this. "You're kidding…please tell me you're kidding!"

"I never doubt my father's words…" he replied. He then leaned down so that he was practically nose to nose with her. "…..so…is that a yes on keeping our daughter..?"

The red-head smiled bashfully and turned away, stroking her chin and closing her eyes as a content sigh escaped her lips.

"Yes….let's keep her.." she whispered, turning to face him. A smile crept across the lavender haired demi-Saiyen's lips as he slowly filled the gap between them, pressing his lips against hers in a soft, gently kiss as she ran her hands through his hair.

Dr.Fishbourne turned and exited the room, a smirk upon her face.

Showing them the scan of the foetus……works like a charm! he thought triumphantly to himself…..

****

*~*~*~*~*~*

A sigh escaped Shasta's lips as she felt the pleasently warm water trickle gently down her lightly tanned skin. Reaching out for the shampoo bottle, she felt a pair of strong, muscular arms encircle her waist, one hand gently caressing her stomach, tracing invisable patterns with slender fingers. Smiling, she turned around, her eyes meeting with Trunk's own sapphire blue pair as he pulled her close against his chest, goosebumps rising up on their naked skin as the warm spray of water cleansed their bodies of impuritys.

"Kinda hard to believe I'm carrying a child…." She whispered, reaching up to run her fingers through his soaking wet hair, planting a delicate kiss on the demi-Saiyen's lips. He purred softly, fingers caressing her back and spine as he deepened the kiss, one hand moving up to stroke her cheek.

"Mmmm……not A child…OUR child…. I still can't believe it….seems like only yesterday WE were children. Now we're having one of our own…" he whispered, moving his free hand to rest on Shasta's toned stomach. She let out a content sigh and placed her hand over his, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder.

"….It feels like a dream…"

Trunks cupped her chin and tilted her head up to gaze longingly into her eyes. "If it is a dream, I sure as hell don't wanna wake up.."

Once again, their lips met in a sweet kiss. As the last of the bubbles slowly trickled down the drain, the two lovebirds wrapped themselves in a large towel, only for it to fall off as they both scrambled through the ajoining door leading into Trunks' bedroom. Thankfull that his family was out for the evening, they both collasped on the mushy, extrely comfortable duvet , their lips pressing together almost feverishly. 

Trunks lay on his back against the soft, feather-stuffed duvet, Shasta lying on top of him as her hands caressed and touched and stroked every inch of his body. He purred softly, his hands reaching to mimic her actions by caressing the delicate tan skin of her spine. He moved to place a deep, passionate kiss on her lips, his hands moving all over her body, still soaked to a degree with beads of water trickling down her back.

"Aaagh!" Shasta gave a great yelp of supprise as Trunks ran his thumb over a small scar at the very base of her spine. He sat up, looking concerned and held her close, kissing her appologeticlly. 

"Gomen! I'm sorry! What..what happened?"

The red-head smiled weakly and wrapped her arms around his neck, positioning herself in his lap as she gave him a sheepish look. "My tail spot…." She mumured, nuzzling against his chest. He let out a sigh and held her close, feeling the warmth radiate from her body. Shifting slightly, he pulled the duvet over them both and took each of her hands in his own, entwining their fingers as he looked deep into her eyes.

"Sorry…. I did'nt know that spot was…er…sensitive…" he whispered, moving to stroke her cheek. She smiled lovingly at him and leaned in towards his ear.

"I know one that's even MORE sensitive.." she purred softly, moving one hand down to stroke the tip of his arousal. A soft moan escaped the demi-Saiyen's lips as he thrust his hips upwards, silently pleading for her to continue. Shasta responded by kissing him passionatly, tongue timidly poking at his mouth, unsure of what to do. She may not be a virgin any more but she was still somewhat inexperienced when it came to this kind of thing..still, what she lacked in experience she more than made up for in entusiasm. Slowly, she moved her hand along his arousal, feeling him shiver beneath him. Trunks placed his hand over hers and guided her along, his breathing hot and fast on her face.

"Aaaah.." he groaned in pleasure, his back arching as he bucked his hips against her, beads of sweat trickling down his temple and a crimson blush rising up on his cheeks. Shasta leaned in to kiss him as she swept her hands along his length at a faster pace, knowing that he was near release. A cry of ecstasy escaped the demi-Saiyen's lips as he finally came, his juices coating his lover's hand.

Shasta smirked and moved her hand to lick at his juices, lapping it up greedily like a cat. Shaking in the aftermath of his orgasm, Trunks slowly pulled her into his lap, his hands gently holding her hips as she probed his mouth with her tongue, their lips practically mashing together.

Together, they moved their hips in a slow, lingering rthymn, lightning bolts of pleasure sending goosebumps on their now sweat-soaked skin. 

Shasta groaned softly, burying her head in his shoulder as he thrusted slowly, hands fondling her breasts, his thumbs brushing against hardened nipples. Trunks moved his hands down her stomach towards her navel, his fingertips barely brushing the taunt skin. Dropping his hand down towards the small patch of cherry coloured curls that covered her enterence, the lavender haired demi Saiyen rubbed his thumb along that sensitive little ball of nerves, feeling her shiver in delight at his touch.

"Ohhh….Trunks….!" the red-head groaned, her nails scraping against his back as she clung to him, grinding her hips into his. Trunks groaned softly and quickened his pace as he thrusted, his free hand holding Shasta against him as she arched her back enough for her head to touch the matteress, a loud shriek escaping her lips. She was making those sounds for him and him alone…she was crying out his name…she was binded to him and only him…

Trunks let a feral growl escape his throat as he pushed her back against the bed so that she was directly beneath him. He moved his lips along her throat, kissing her feverishly as he came to the little spot were the tendons met. Without any sense of thought, he sank his teeth into her neck, deep enough to draw a tiny trickle of blood. Breathing hard, he lapped greedily at the crimson fluid, feeling Shasta's nails dig even deeper into his back.

She cried out in a mixture of pain and pleasure, burying her head into the crook of his neck and returning the bite, leaving a tiny cresent-shaped scar near his jugular vein. Together, their bodies rocked in time, moans of pleasure and the calling of each other's names piercing the air.

With one final growl, Trunks arched his back as he released once more, at the exact moment Shasta had let out a shriek that was loud enough to crack the windows. Several minutes past as their orgasm faded down into a pleasant after-climax tingle, goosebumps rising up on sweatsoaked skin. Shasta leaned in to kiss her lover passionatly on the lips, hooking one leg over his hip as she shifted into the spoons position.

Breathing heavily, Trunks rolled onto his side, hooking his leg over her hip as he gazed upon the body of his lover, clad in only a very thin white cotton sheet which hugged every single delicate curve. One of her hands was resting on her stomach, the other resting around his shoulders as she leaned on her side against her pillow, looking up at him lovingly. The lavender haired man planted a soft butterfly kiss on her lips, placing his hand over his and feeling the tiniest bump on her stomach.

"I love you, Shasta-chan…" he whispered softly, pressing his forehead against hers. She sighed contently and closed her eyes, leaning into him.

"I love you too, my purple haired angel…" she breathed, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. Laying on his back, Trunks wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her close, not wanting to ever let her go. He sighed softly as he buried his face in her mane of her now bed-tangled ruby red hair, smelling the essence of wildflowers and exotic fruits. God, how he loved that smell… no other woman made him feel the way she did…his heart belonged only to Shasta …and now she was carrying his baby.

A mixture of them both.. a little bit of himself and a little bit of her…fused together to create a new life…

A child…

….**Their **child…..

…he was going to be a father….

****

~*~*~*~*~

Morning sunlight flooded the bedroom,casting a soft, honey-coloured glow upon it's occupants. Trunks stirred slightly in his sleep, moving to wrap his arms around his mate….only to find an empthy space next to him. Blinking, he slowly opened his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, squinting in the morning light as it shone brightly in his face. He sat up and glanced around the room, wondering were Shasta had gone…

No sooner had the thought run through his head, did the red-head emerge from the ajoining bathroom, dressed in one of Trunks' oversized white shirts and a pair of baby pink panties that only just peeked out from the hem of the shirt. She was noticably paler but smiled none-the-less and crawled across the bed to snuggle next to him.

"Heeey….I missed you…" Trunks whispered, kissing her forehead and buring his face in her untidy mass of just-got-out-of-bed curls. She sighed and leaned into his touch, closing her eyes and nuzzling against him.

"Morning sickness….." she mumured, patting her stomach gently as an exasperated sigh escaped her lips. Trunks chuckled and hugged her close, gently rubbing his hands along her forearms.

"I wish I could do something about that…" he whispered, moving to rest an ear against her stomach. Shasta glanced down curiously at him, running her fingers through his hair as he stroked her tiny bump lovingly. He smiled and looked up at her with that boyish grin of his, his sapphire blue eyes glistening.

"You have a widdle baby growning inside of yoo-oou!" he said in a babyish voice, causing Shasta to giggle and playfully slap his shoulder.

"Silly boy…." She started, but was suddenly cut short. She gasped in alarm and placed both hands on her stomach, eyes widdening. Trunks jumped up in fright, a look of worry plastered across his face.

"What's wrong..?!" he queried, taking one of Shasta's hands in his own. She let a weak chuckle escape her lips as she gazed at him. She glanced down at her stomach and laughed heartily.

"She's kicking me!"

Trunks blinked, eyes widdening. Without saying a word, he pressed his palm against his lover's stomach and lay perfectly still. A few moments passed before he felt a tiny bump under his hand which was unmistakably his baby kicking inside Shasta's womb. He let out a breathless gasp which turned into a chuckle, glancing up at the red-head with his eyes slightly teary.

"Oh my Kami…….!" He breathed. Shasta giggled and stroked his hair lovingly. "Our little girl…." She breathed, bringing him up to plant a soft kiss on his lips. The lavender haired demi-Saiyen sighed into the kiss and stroked her stomach tenderly.

"We're a family…" he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers..

"Ahem…Am I interupting again?"

Shasta looked up in alarm, seeing Mia standing in the doorway clad in her hot pink pajamas, a smirk across her chibi-like face. Trunks shook his head and sighed, giving his foster sister an icy look.

"Don't you ever knock?" he growled, massaging his temples. The blue haired girl giggled evilly and flicked a stray lock of sapphire out of her dark grey eyes.

"I'm your lil' sister, Trunks! T'is my JOB not to knock! Now, Mom's sent me up to tell you that breakfast's ready nd if you don't hurry, you'll be late catching the bus.." she replied, narrowly dodging a pillow thrown by her older 'brother'. Side stepping out of the line of fire, Mia shook her head and smiled when she made eye contact with Shasta.

"Hey, Shaz! How are you feeling today?"

The red-head smiled and inclined her head. "I'm fine, thanks….why don't you go run along? We'll be down in a second."

Mia nodded and gave a two-fingered army salute before closing the door behind her as she exited the room. Trunks looked admirably at his lover, one eyebrow arched.

"You have to teach me how you do that someday…"

A few minutes later, Shasta was peering at her reflection in the mirror that was hung on the inside of Trunk's wardrobe. Clad in only a light pink bra and pantie set, she frowned at her reflection. She did'nt really LOOK pregnant but if she turned slightly to the side, you could just make out the tiniest bump on her other-wise flat stomach. A smile crept across the red-head's face as she placed one hand over her bump. The tiny life inside her kicked gently against her womb as if to say hello.

Shasta smiled to herself and pulled on a long, flowing blue hippy skirt and a white t-shirt with a picture of a dragon rising from a ring of fire on the front. Upon looking at the dragon, the red-head was suddenly reminded of the pentent Arailani had passed to her during her visit to the past. It lay motionless on the bedside table, the emerald green dragon glinting softly in the morning sun. Walking over to the bed, she sat down and picked up the ornate silver chain, fingering it absently for a moment. Her brow furrowed slightly at the thought of what her mother might say if she found out her only daughter was pregnant at eighteen..

Shuddering slightly, she shook the thought from her head and clipped the pentant onto her neck. It dangled down between her collorbones, the tip of the silver sword on which the dragon was coiled around, resting gently against her skin. Quickly pulling on a pair of blue flip flops, Shasta got to her feet and swept a brush through her unruly mass of ruby red hair, tying it into a braid at the back whilst the rest hung loose on her shoulders.

She exitted the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen, where Trunks was sitting at the table reading the day's newspaper. Jack and Rosabella were busy hovering over the stove, their backs to the two teens and Mia was busy shoveling Fruit Loops into her mouth at an ungodly speed.

Upon her entry, Trunks looked up and smiled as he folded over his paper and set it down on the table before him. A soft sigh escaped Shasta's lips as she took in the sight of her mate, dressed in a simple pair of snug fitting jeans and a white silk shirt left unbuttoned at the top, his hair still in it's bed-tangled state.

"Mornin, Shas-chan…" he whispered as she sat beside him. "Good morning, Trunks.." Shasta whispered back, kissing him softly on the lips. Jack turned around and smiled at the sight of them kissing, shaking his head in amusement.

"Alright, you two! Save the mushy stuff for later.. the school bus comes in less than five minutes." He said, grabbing his hat from a hook in the far corner of the kitchen. Trunks looked at Shasta, then back at his foster father with a slightly nervous look on his face.

"Um…actually…we're not going to school today…" he said, gulping slightly. The ashen haired man blinked from under his glasses and arched an eyebrow at the lavender haired teen.

"Oh? And what excuse do you have this time?" Jack asked, sounding somewhat peeved.

Trunks was about to speak when Shasta interupted him, looking paler than usual. "Um..Mr.Matherson..Jack….me an' Trunks…well..we were kinda hopin' to return to the past…. Y'know.. to check up on things.." she said, her voice shaking.

Jack placed a hand to his stubbly chin, looking deeply emersed in thought as he gazed with wonder upon the two teens.

"Hmmm.. It does make sense.. but I don't want you falling behind with your schoolwork, boy!"

Trunks chuckled weakly. "Don't worry, Pops. I'll be sure to hit the books."

The ashen haired man sighed in defeat. "Very well…get your stuff together and I'll prep the capsule.."

Shasta nodded and glanced at Trunks, looking slightly worried. She sighed deeply and placed one of her hands on his, brow furrowed and her eyes darkened. Trunks squeezed her hand gently and kisses her cheek. 

"It's alright…." He whispered softly. "..They have to know.."

The red head nodded and got to her feet, clearing her throat loudly to get everyone's attention. A shiver of fear ran down her spine as she felt all eyes upon her, but she refused to be scared. Taking a deep breath, she let it out as a sigh and called for everyone to listen closely.

"I have an announcement to make…..Um…there's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it………..I'm pregnant…a..and Trunks is the father…"

Silence…..

A deathly silence…

"Is…is this true..?" Jack said, his face paler than death. Shasta nodded slowly, bracing herself for what was to come. The ashen haired man sank into his seat, looking wide-eyed. He seemed to shake slightly and his wife, having recovered slightly from the shock, placed her arms around her husband's shoulders and massaged them gently.

"I suppose you're planning on keeping it?" Jack snapped, sounding extremly frustrated. Trunks gulped and nodded slowly.

"Yeah…look, I know this is a shock-"

"Get out! No son of mine would have a child outside of wedlock! Out!" Jack yelled, getting to his feet, Out of habit, Shasta squealed in fright and hid behind her mate, trembling slightly. Trunks held out both arms sheilding her from harm as a pained expression crossed his face, staring hard into the cold grey eyes of his foster father.

"Hey! I love this woman more than life itself! And we're having this baby, married or not! Why can't you accept it?" he yelled, feeling Shasta tremble some more behind him, being one who did'nt like hearing people yell…

"You were brought up in a household where teenage pregnancy is frowned upon, Trunks…." Rosabella sighed, holding her husband back from any attempt on Trunks' life. She shook her head in a sad kind of way.

"Shasta, I'm so sorry….perhaps it would be best if you headed off now..let things cool down a little bit..Jack's just in a state of shock.."

Poking her head out from behind the demi-Saiyen, Shasta nodded slowly and came out from hiding. She took one of Trunks hand and found, to her supprise, that he was shaking with anger. He said nothing, but the red-head could tell he was deeply hurt by what Jack had said. He remained silent as they headed to the aircraft hanger were the time machine was stored and he did'nt speak again untill they were approching the warp tunnel…

"Hey…You alright?" he whispered to Shasta, leaning back against the red leather seat with his arms behind his head after setting the controls to auto-pilot. The red-head nodded slowly and pulled her knees up to her chest, folding her arms on top of him.

"I did'nt expect him to throw us out….that was callous of him.."

The lavender haired teen sighed and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight and resting his chin attop her head. "I know… I know….but what can we do? Jack's bon of a culture that has strict rules in terms of pregnancy and stuff…."

"I see…" Shasta said quietly, closing her eyes. She snuggled closer to him, feeling the pleasant warmnt of his his ki energy radiate from his body. They sat in silence for a while, the only noise appart from their breathing being the gently hum of the jet boosters and the distent sounds of memories deep within the time tunnel. It was peaceful and calm and all too soon, Shasta had fallen into a deep slumber….

__

Once again, she found herself within the dark, endless void of nothingness…but this time, the floor was solid beneath her feet. She also had a distinctive feeling that she was not alone. Sure enough, a spotlight shone down before her, revealing the mysterious girl from her previous dream.

She looked different this time, her hair no longer long , wavy and lavender, but rather short and coloured a pale shade of pinkish purple. It was styled just like Trunk's, complete with undercut and she was dressed in a long, sweeping black dress, a black lace cross necklance dangling down from her neck. She looked sadly at Shasta, seeming to float as she walked towards her.

"I hoped we would not have to meet again.." she said, her voice much clearer than before. Her sapphire blue eyes glinted sadly in the dim light and she sat down crosslegged on the floor, never once ceasing eye contact with the bewildered red-head.

"Who are you? Why are you haunting my dreams?" Shasta queried, sitting down in front of the mysterious woman.

She smiled softly and bowed her head low, the three silver hoops in each ear swinging slightly with her movement.

"My name is Trinity Hope Briefs…I'm your daughter."

Shasta's eyes widdened and she fell backwards in shock. Looking up, she saw Trinity standing over her, extending a hand to help her up. Once back on her feet, the two women walked together down the endless tunnel of black, staring at each other.

"How can you be my daughter? Y..You're not even born yet!"

Trinity sighed heavily. "No…I come from the not to distent future, you see. I've tapped into your mind through the use of the psychic Nekonian genes I inherited from you. You are in great danger, Mother. A new evil lies hidden in the past, bidding it's time untill it grows strong enough to feast…stronge enough to kill..it is far more powerful than the androids..or anything else that has walked this earth for that matter…look…"

The lavender haired woman pointed one long, lace covered finger in front of her. A slightly blurred image of a man materialized from the darkness. He was tall and burly, green skin pulled taunt over bulging muscles. His face was white and ghostly, save for two purple stripes on either cheeks. He wore a helmet of green, ending in two sharp spikes at the top with a black ball in the centre. A syringe like tail wiggled behind him, stinger end pointed at nothing in particular. His eyes were meer voids of white and he had an air about him that made Shasta's blood run cold.

"The monster Cell…spawned from the DNA of all the earth's greatest fighters… an unholy beast from the fiery fortress of Hell. He will stop at nothing untill the Z-senshi is dead and he has enslaved the Earth…but there are worse things to come, Mother…far worse than you could ever imagine…"

Shasta's brow furrowed at this, eyes fixed on the image of Cell as it slowly faded to black.

"Why are you telling me this, Trinity?" she whispered, placing one hand over her heart, her eyes darkened.

Trinity bowed her head low. "Do you remember what I showed you in your last dream…? How Father had been felled by his hand? There is great danger in the past, Mother…I beg of you not to return and disturb the unholy creature. He has already destroyed my own world…and now I am the last Saiyen left…but if you are to interfere, there is no telling the damage that would be done to our worlds…"

Slowly, the younger woman faded from view. Shasta out stretched a hand, but Trinity just slipped through her fingers.

"WAIT! There's more I need to know…! WAIT!! TRINITY!!"

But she was gone…

"AAH!!" 

Shasta awoke with a start, sweat trickling down her temples. She groaned and sat up in bed, pushing the sheets away from her body.. wait…sheets..? Blinking, the red-head looked around. She was in the room were she and Trunks had slept during their last visit to the past. It was dark and quiet in the bedroom, the only ound being her own breathing. Glancing to her right, she say that the clock on her night stand read 3:00 AM in luminous green letters.

So, they must have reached the past while she was asleep, she assumed. With Trinity's warning still fresh in her mind, Shasta climbed out of bed and changed into a long t-shirt and a pair of shorts, thankfull that she was blessed with terrific night vision. She exitted the room and walked down the hall towards the kitchen before pulling open the fridge door and relishing the feeling of the cool air against her feverishly hot skin.

Her brow furrowed as she pulled open the freezer, reaching in and grabbing a large tub of Carmel Sutra ice cream.

(**A/N: ***pauses to dribble uncontrably*)

Getting a spoon, she sat down at the table and poked at the creamy carmel and vanilla, mind wandering over the dream. It felt so real..it HAD to be real…but the warning…was Trunks REALLY going to die..?! She shuddered at the thought, not wanting to imagine a world without her beloved. The baby inside her womb gave a small kick in agreement and she leaned back against the chair, sighing heavily and closing her eyes for a moment..

"You're up late, onna.."

"Konichiwa, Vegeta-san.." Shasta said, without opening her eyes. She listened as Vegeta's soft footsteps sounded on the cold tile floor followed by the gentle hum of the fridge generator as he pulled open the door. Opening her eyes, the red-head watched as he reached in for the half-eatten pack of raw cookie dough and kicking the door shut, sat down beside her at the table, taking slow, savoring bites.

"I see you are experiencing cravings for ice cream in your pregnancy.." he said casually, making an extremly satisfied sound as he chewed on the cookie dough. Shasta blinked and dug her spoon into the steadily melting tub of ice cream before her.

"How'd you know?"

The raven haired Saiyen prince smiled softly at her and inclined his head. "The last time you were here, I detected a change in your ki..it was small at first, but I knew instantly of your condition…plus, the boy told me everything."

Shasta chuckled weakly and spooned the heap of carmel and chocolatei nto her mouth, goosebumps rising on her skin as the cold subtence slid down her throat. "I thought that was the case…um…you're not mad or anything, are you?"

Vegeta waved a hand absently in front of him. "Not at all, onna. You've know my son his entire life and you both make a perfect couple…for you to have a child is a blessing from Kami and you have my deepest congradulations."

"Thanks, Vegeta…..where is Trunks, anyway?"

The Saiyen prince shrugged. "I should think he's on the roof, star gazing…either than or he's watching over his chibi self in the nursery.. I must admit, it is very strange to have, on one hand, my baby son just learning to crawl and on the other, my adult son who's about to become a father…two Trunks…the mind boggles.."

Shasta blinked in confusion, staring wide-eyed at Vegeta, a hand reaching up to scratch the back of her head. "Uh………………huh..?!"

Vegeta sweatdropped. Yes, she is truly related to Katarott, no doubt about that…. he thought in amusement…

****

~*~*~*~*~*~

END CHAPTER EIGHT

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A/N: Gomen nasi!! I'm so sorry for the lapse in updates, but you have NO idea how many times I've re-written this chapter! *mind boggles* I'm so sorry for the long wait!!! But anyways, I hope you're all enjoying the fic so far. If there's any questions you wish to ask, feel free to send me a review or email me at shasta_mac_nasty@hotmail.com . Just be sure to state subject 'Your Fanfic' or something otherwise I'll think it's junkmail and accidently delte it! ^_^ '

Anyways, forgive me if I don't get chapter 9 out for a while, but what with schoolwork and my brother hogging the computer, it 's hard to update on time. Hopefully, I should an update at the soonest every two weeks or so, but please bare with me because I have a hetic offline life! Domo arigato and Sayonara!

**__**

Vanilla Twist

__


	9. Public Service Annoucement

Public Service Announcement  
*~*~*~*  
  
Shasta: Greetings, my noble and incredibly shibby fanbase! Shasta here!  
  
Vanilla Twist: And Vanilla Twist! Don't forget de Vanilla Twist! ^_^  
  
Shasta: Um... yes... *ahem*... sorry for the lapse in updates but a tragedy of mammoth proportions has just happened..  
  
Vanilla Twist: *tearfully* WE RAN OUT OF SUGAR!!!  
  
Shasta: Shut up, VT! That has nothing to do with this! *to readers* Sorry 'bout my muse. She's a baka... anyways, I won't be able to update for a while because my idiotic baka of a brother restored the computer and everything got delted, including my entire back catalogue of songs, unpublished fanfiction and fanart, as well as most of my programs, mainly Microsoft Word (c) which I use to write my fics. Now I'm stuck with the pain in the ass known as Wordpad and since I'm too lazy to type out HTML code, I won't be updating much untill I get a chance to re-install Microsoft Word. Appologies to those eagerly waiting the next chapter of Days Of Our Lives but my brother is to blame!  
  
Vanilla Twist: Yes! Yes! Stephanos must dieee!! *pulls out her Inflatable Penguin Launcher (c)*  
  
Shasta: ~___~ ; ; ; ; Yee-eeess.. well anyways, a thousand appolodgies, but I'll try to fix this problem as soon as I can. In the meantime, check out the collection of lemons I've posted on www.mediaminer.org! I post under the pen name Shastania and most of the fics are 100% yaoi-liscious!  
  
Vanilla Twist: *drooling lustfully* Yaooiiiii........  
  
Shasta: *sweatdrop* Yes.... um..again, I'm sorry! But hey! Shit happens! ^_^ ; well anyways, Gomen nasi and arigato gorzaimasu! (that's 'Sorry' and 'Thank you very much' in Japanese, BTW)  
  
Vanilla Twist: *bows* Yes, yes! A thousand thank yous for the reviews! You make my master very happy!  
  
Both: Tawitchy ta woo! Arigato ii sayonara!!  
  
~* Love, Shasta Musashi & Milli Vanilla Twist*~ 


	10. Chapter 9

~*Days Of Our Lives*~  
by Shasta  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z..*sniff*  
  
Shasta: *comes running into the studio, looking somewhat flustered* OH! Hi there! Sorry I'm so late in updating but without Microsoft Word, I just can't write a thing! ^_^ ' But, seeing as how I REALLY wanna finish this fic, I've decided to swallow my pride and use *shudder* Wordpad... so, forgive me if the next few chapters look somewhat iffy. That said, please read on for the continuation and please don't forget to review!  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
Chapter Nine: Pains And Memories  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Getting up from her seat at the table, the young red head bid a goodnight to the Saiyan prince and crossed the tiled kitchen floor towards the door leading onto the backyard. Pulling it open, a gust of cool, night air tickled her face and ruffled her hair, sending hopelessly crimson strands into two emerald green orbs.  
  
Stepping out onto the wood-decked terrance, she shivered against the cold and wrapped her arms around herself, looking up into the blackened, star-studded sky. The only sounds that pierced the air were that of the cicadas chirping and the distent howling of the wolves in the surrounding mountains.  
  
"You're up early.." came a soft, husky voice from a short distence away. Shasta smiled and brushed a strand of crimson from her eyes as she gazed upon the lone figure of Trunks, dressed in low-ridding jeans and a chunky blue hooded sweatshirt, as he sat on the low wall at the end of the yard.  
  
The young red head chuckled softly as she crossed the long, dew-damp grass to him. Seating herself beside him on the wall, she rested her head on his shoulder and glanced up at the stars with a sad smile upon her features.  
  
"I could'nt sleep.." she whispered, seeing her breath before her as she spoke. The lavender haired demi-Saiyan wound an arm around her shoulders, rubbing them soothingly.  
  
"Bad dream?"  
  
"Yeah.."  
  
Trunks turned to look at her, his sapphire eyes showing concern as he tipped her chin up to gaze at her more closely. "D'ya wanna talk about it?"  
  
The red-head turned away, glancing behind her to the ocean in the distence, where the the edge of the sun was just starting to peek up over the darkened waves. Sighing, she turned back to him and rubbed her hands together in an attempt to warm them. She complintated on telling him about the phrophecy...about how their daughter had come to her in her sleep....or about Cell....  
  
But looking into those beautiful orbs of sapphire blue, so full of love for her alone, she just could'nt bring herself to burden him with the knowledge that he'd die long before his time..  
  
"No...it's alright, Trunks... it was just a silly dream." she said, forcing a reassuring smile.  
  
Trunks peered at her with concern but did not press the subject further, much to the cat-girl's relief. He shook his head and kissed her cheek gently, giving her shoulder a comforting squeese. "You know you can always tell me if something's troubling you, Shas. I'll always hear you."  
  
"I know you will, Trunks..and I'm so grateful for that but really, it's no big deal." she said, pressing her forehead against his. He sighed and closed his eyes, pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her softly on the lips.  
  
"I'm just worried about you. You've been havin' freaky dreams a lot lately and in your current condition, you need your sleep."  
  
Shasta chuckled and nuzzled him lovingly. "Kami, what have I done to deserve a man so loving and caring as you?"  
  
The lavender haired demi-Saiyan chuckled, a faint trace of a blush rising up on his cheeks. He kissed her again and got up from his place on the wall, taking one of her hands and leading her inside. "What can I say? You're an angel and deserve to be treated like one!"  
  
Now it was Shasta's turn to blush.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As the two demi-Saiyans ajusted to life in the past timeline, they were vaguely aware of the days slipping by in a blissfully hazy blur. All too soon, December was coming to an end and it would'nt be long before the annual New Year's Eve Fancy Dress ball at the Capsule Corp took place. Trunks smiled to himself as he heard the news, reminsising back to the ten bittersweet years he had spent at the majestic manor, enjoying the lively atomosphere as his family welcomed the dawn of a new year.  
  
Walking around the cavernous lobby of the Capsule Corp manor, he took in the sight of the festive decorations strewn as far as the eye could see. Multi-coloured paper streamers were strung from the crystal chandlier, making a vibrant spider's web of crepe paper along the ceiling.  
  
From every light fixture, a sprig of mistletoe was hung and the lavender haired teen took great pleasure in deliberatly luring his beloved underneath for moments of passionate kisses.  
  
There was an enormous Christmas tree in the very centre of the lobby, decorated with gold and silver bobbles and tinsel and reeking strongly of pine. Heading through the high stone archway leading into the spacious living room, he was greeted with the sight of his own mother, dressed in a pair of denium bibs and a "Queen Of All Saiyans' t-shirt, sitting crosslegged on the cushioned floor in a circle with Gohan's mother Chichi and his own mate Shasta.  
  
They looked deep in conversation, but as Trunks entered, they greeted him warmly.  
  
"Hey, ladies! What'cha talkin' about?" he queried, leaning on the back of one of the enormous teal leather sofas. Shasta turned to him and stood up, brushing the creases out of her baggy pink pajamas. Through a gap in her shirt, her rapidly enlarging bump peeked out, clearly revealing her to be expecting.  
  
It would'nt be long now, Trunks thought to himself. Only one more month before the glorious event..  
  
"Oh, we were just discussing what to do when I go into labour. I gotta be prepared for this, ya know?" the red-head said, grinning from ear to ear. Trunks chuckled and kissed her forehead lovingly, one hand resting on her portuding bump.  
  
"Is there anything I could do to help?" he asked.  
  
"Well, for starts, you can try and hold her hand without screaming in agony!" said Chichi with a chuckle, flicking a stray lock of ebony black out of her toffee brown eyes.  
  
Trunks gulped, some of the colour draining from his face. "It can't be...THAT..painful..?"  
  
Bulma shook her head. "Sorry, sweetie...but labour, most especially during the birth of a first child, is pure agony;."  
  
She turned to Shasta, who had also gone a paler shade of tan.  
  
"....But don't worry. You'll be fine. The pain is only a small part of the process. The end product makes it all worth while."  
  
The young red-head smiled despite the fact that she was practically shaking with fear, not only from what Bulma had told her about the pain factor, but also from the knowledge that stood out clearly in her mind...the knowledge that her own mother had died giving birth to her. Sure, everything had been corrected in the past timeline, but still, Shasta could'nt shake the feeling of intense dread that hung over her like a darkened rain cloud..  
  
"....Shasta? Yoo-hoo? Heeelllooo?"  
  
Jumping in alarm, the young cat-girl blinked in confusion, seeing Chichi standing before her with a bemussed look upon her face. She shook her head in amusement at the sight of her niece with the blankest of facial expressions upon her face, looking so much like her Uncle Goku that it was frightening.  
  
"Gomen nasi, Chichi-san..I was miles away.." Shasta peeped, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. The raven haired woman shook her head once more and tapped her lightly on the arm.  
  
"Really! Just like my Goku! An attention span of three seconds!"  
  
This was met by a clueless blink of the eyes from the young red-head.  
  
Chichi sweatdropped, rolling her eyes. "Ahem! As I was TRYING to tell you, if you need help with your costume for tonight's ball, I'll be more than willing to help."  
  
"Arigato, Chichi-san!" Shasta thanked the older woman, bowing polietly to her aunt, who simply shook her head in amusement.  
  
Glancing over at Trunks, the red-head told him with speachless messages to wait outside for her.  
  
She bid farewell to the two older women and headed towards one of the downstairs bedrooms, beckoning the lavender haired demi-Saiyan to follow.  
  
Once behind the privacy of the soft blue walls, the expectant redhead stood up on her toes and captured Trunks' lips in a sweet kiss. He responded with a purr, pulling her into a loving embrace.  
  
"Mmmm....you're being affectionate today!" he whispered seductivly, nuzzling the nape of her neck, where a tiny pink cresent-shaped scar still glimed against the silky smooth tan of her skin, a memento of the Saiyan mating ritual they had performed soon after learning of Shasta's pregnancy. She sighed happily and leaned into his embrace, looking up into those sapphire eyes she loved so much.  
  
"I could use some affection...some..comfort.." she said, trying to hide the worry in her voice. Trunks sat down on the bed, motioning her to mimic him. Sitting crosslegged on the soft white blankets, she stared deep into his eyes, trying hard to hide the concerned look upon her face.  
  
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked, taking one of her hands. She sighed and shook her head.  
  
"I...I don't think I'm ready for this....becoming a mother....I..I'm just so scared, Trunks...Momma was my age when she had me and....and I don't want to be met with the same fate as her...I don't want to leave our baby without a mother..." she whispered, placing her hands on her bulging bump.  
  
Trunks smiled soothingly and placed an arm around her shoulders, kissing her forehead reassuringly. "That's not gonna happen, Shasta. It's natural for you to be a little nervous, but I promise you.. you'll be fine-"  
  
Just as he was about to finish that sentence, however, there was a frantic knock at the door. Without warning, the door swung open to reveal a paniced looking Chichi, ashen faced and wide eyed.  
  
"Come quick! Something's happening.. something bad!"  
  
Without haste, the two demi-Saiyans rushed out of the room, following Chichi into one of the spacious living rooms of the Capsule Corp. Displayed on a huge cinema screen that hung down from the ceiling, a news reporter was standing in front of a dusty road, looking grim.  
  
"We interupt "True Romance" to bring you an urgent news bulletin, live from Nicky Town. What appears to be a mutated grasshopper has turned this humble little town into a scene of carnage. Everywhere I turn, there are bodies strewn across the street..the monster appears to milk them with a scorpion like tai-AAAHH!!!"  
  
The reporter was suddenly pulled from the scene by a long, green, pointed tail-like object, his blood-curdling screams filling the room as they sounded out on the speaker system. A moment of chilling silence followed, in which a tiny trickle of blood rolled down the camera lens before the scene was replaced with eerie static.  
  
The entire room was as silent as the grave, too stunned to speak. But no-one was as stunned as Shasta. When she saw that tail coil around the poor man's neck, she knew. There was no denying it.. the dreams she'd been having..they were'nt a sign of going crazy...but true phrophecys from the future..true signs that it was the beginning of the end....  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Shasta sat motionless upon the cold stone steps of the pagoda, watching silently as the Z-senshi met up on the tiled grounds of Kami's Lookout. Everyone was up in arms over the arrival of Cell, which, when coupled with the already increasing threat of an android attack, caused an outrage among the fighters. The young red head sat still, bowing her head low in silent guilt.  
  
She could've told them all.. about the dreams..the visions....but thinking no-one would believe her, she kept her thoughts to herself. It was a heavy burden for her to carry, but she'd rather be the one to bare it than to add further panic to the others...  
  
Glancing up, she caught sight of Trunk's bare, musclar back as he pulled on a skin-tight blue cat-suit, made to look just like the old Saiyan armour worn by Vegeta... A smile graced her lips, some comfort coming to her at the thought that no matter what was to happen, Trunks would always stand by her...but still, she worried for him, the visions telling of his death so fresh in her mind.... shaking her head to rid her mind of such horrors, she stood up and  
brushed down her light blue sun dress, crossing the grounds to where her lover stood, listening to his father speak.  
  
"......We will spend time inside the Time chamber. It will give us enough time to train ourselves if we are to fight this monster."  
Vegeta spoke with such a fiery tone of voice it sent a chill of fear coursing through the young red-head.  
  
She glanced at Trunks, curiousity spreading across her face. The lavender haired teen smiled gently, pulling her close to him.  
"Father and I are planning to go inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.." he said, inclining his head towards the old, titanium steel door on the opposite side of the progada. He turned back to the red head and held her by the shoulders, rubbing them gently.  
  
"I'll be in there for a day or two...but I'll be getting a year's training...it's hard to explain, but trust me on this.. if I have to fight, I have to be strong."  
  
Shasta nodded, a sad smile crossing her lips. "I..understand... but be careful..I would be lost without you.." she whispered, wiping away a tear she did'nt know she'd been crying.  
  
Trunks hugged her close, kissing her deeply on the lips and wiping away her tears with his thumb as he held her chin between his fingers. "I love you.." he whispered, gazing deep into her eyes.  
  
She sighed and leaned into his touch. "I love you too, my angel..." Her voice was husky from pent up tears. She did'nt know why she felt so full of sadness....  
  
He was only going to be gone a day or two and he'd be safe inside the Time Chamber with Vegeta...yet, the pain..the sadness within her heart could only be matched to the night she was orphaned...when Trunks was wrenched from her arms and taken from her, forcing her into seven years of lonliness...seven years of living with people who could've killed her a thousand times by now..  
  
She never really told him about those seven years of absence.. she might had sugar coated it a little when she told him she had a fairly 'happy' upbringing,  
but she was only kidding herself.  
  
Though not as horrific as her time with her biological parents, the time spent in her foster home was nothing short of miserable. The night she was taken from the orphanage, she tried to run away, to find Trunks again... but the security around the manor was so fierce and so strict.. Not once, had she made past the three Rottweilers that patrolled the grounds..  
  
Every night, she cried herself to sleep, wishing she was back with him, safe and warm. They were like one soul split down the centre, unable to survive without the other. She was so miserable without him...so sad and despairing...that she changed. Once so out going and friendly, a happy child, her inner darkness consummed her.. she became a social outcast....became angery...depressed.  
  
But when he came back into her life, she felt as though her head was bursting through the waves, breathing in that vital breath of air she needed to survive. He saved her life that day, whether he knew it or not. She just could'nt go on without him....she loved him so much and that night in the orphanage, all those years ago.... she was imprisoned in a world full of nothing but pain...  
  
He set her free....  
  
She watched in silent despair as he ascended the stone steps leading up to the door of the Time chamber. The baby inside her womb kicked in a tiny protest, but what was she to do? The world was under threat from both the androids and this new evil...he had to train if Earth was to have a chance.. But she was dying on the inside. She knew if he were to fight Cell, he'd die....and that knowledge brought tears to her eyes....  
  
...she was'nt going to let that happen...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Come on, sweetie! Cheer up. He'll be back in a few days...." Arailani said through one side of the pine wood door leading into the upstairs guestroom, where Shasta had confinded herself since returning from Kami's Lookout.  
  
The soft sound of a woman sobbing was the only noise within the room, a sound that was sickening to the elder red-head's ears. Sighing, Arailani shook her head. "Oh..If you're hungry, dinner's ready in an hour.." she said, somewhat exasperated, before trudging back downstairs with a heavy heart.  
  
Stepping onto the smooth marble floor of of the lobby, the elder cat-girl sighed and walked into the kitchen, greeted by the sight of Yamcha sitting at the table, reading a newspaper and looking grim. The picture on the front page showed a blurred image of a man, at least seven feet tall, skin as green as raw sewage. He looked like nothing from this Earth, a face coloured bone white with two purple stripes on either cheek, indigo eyes staring absently into the lens.  
  
The headline read: "MASSACRE IN MALIK CITY: DEATHTOLL 1000."  
  
"Sickening....just sickening.." Yamcha growled, folding the newspaper and slamming it down on the table, rising up from his seat. He glanced warily at Arailani as she entered the kitchen, her otherwise cheerful smile replaced by a look of sadness.  
  
"Mmm...hey, baby." the raven haired warrior purred, crossing the room to wrap his wife into a loving embrace. The elder red-head sighed and leaned against him, brows furrowing in worry.  
  
"Oh, me uke*, I'm so worried about our daughter...she's been in her room crying for the last two days...."  
  
Yamcha shook his head, holding his wife at arms lenght as his face fell into an unreadable expression. His dark brown eyes showed her a world of sadness and despair that he kept well hidden. Shaking his head, he walked past her towards the hall, but was stopped short by Arailani gripping the back of his gi.  
  
"What are you doing?" she queried, cocking her head to one side.  
  
"I'm gonna go try an' talk to her..."  
  
The cat-girl shook her head woefully, her long, braided locks of deep blood red hair falling into her emerald eyes, the tribal beads on the ends of each tiny braid rattling softly with her movement. "Yamcha, you're wasting your time. She has'nt spoken a word to you other than to insult you ever since she came here..I just don't understand it.." She let go of her husband's gi, moving her hand to cup her chin in deep thought.  
  
"I've tried many times to tap into her mind, try to figure out the problem...but it's impossible to break through her mental barrier.. ...I don't know why she hates you so much...and I just don't know why she's so upset over Trunks leaving to train.." Arailani sighed heavily, shaking her head again and folding her arms over her chest.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna go find out.. she's my daughter an' I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit around an' watch her cry her eyes out!" Yamcha said sharply, frowning slightly before turning back towards the hall and heading up the enormous flight of stairs leading to the upstairs guestrooms.  
  
When he reached the top of the stairs, the raven haired Saiyan paused beside one of several abstract Picassos hanging on the wall. He felt his ears prick up as the sound of a woman crying filled his ears. Frowning, he continued down the hall untill he reached the largest guestroom at the end, the door slightly ajar and the crying sounding to die down to a whimper.  
  
"Uh...Shasta?" Yamcha called delicatly, knocking on the door. When he recieved no answer, he pushed the door open and stepped into the room. It was shrouded in darkness, the only light source being that of a small lamp on the left side of the bed, where Shasta lay with her back to him, hugging a pillow close to her body. She had changed into a dull grey sleeping tank top and a pair of Trunks' smiley-face boxer shorts.  
  
As the raven haired Saiyan entered the room, she immidiatly rolled onto her back and sat up, casting him a look of the upmost loathing, a deathglare that would send even Vegeta running fifty miles in the other direction.  
  
"What are YOU doing here?" She spat, her voice calm and cold as she instinctly backed away up against the velvet-clad headboard, her emerald eyes never leaving Yamcha's.  
  
"First off, you can drop that attitude of yours, missy!" Yamcha said offensively before seating himself crosslegged on the bed, his expression softening into that of worry; "....And secondly, I came up here to find out what's troubling you.."  
  
Shasta growled low in her throat, emitting a sound that sounded like a cross between a bark and a snarl, her long canines exposed as she continued to glare at him. "Like you give a shit about me!" she snapped.  
  
"Geez, what's your freakin' problem?! You've been biting my head off ever since you came to stay! And I'm quite frankly sick of it! You will tell me right now why you're being such a damn bitch to me 'cuz as your father, I don't think I deserve this kind of attitude!"  
  
The red-head lurched forward, tears of anger beginning to spill down her face as she struggled to hold back her angered cries. "YOU DESERVE TO DIE FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME!!"  
  
Yamcha lept up from the bed, feeling his anger flare up inside of him. His eyes blazed with fury as he stared down at the future incarnation of his daughter. "Just what have I done?! I've been nothing but kind to you and this is how you repay me?!"  
  
He was suddenly caught off guard when he saw that Shasta had curled into a ball, sheilding herself with her arms and sobbing quietly.  
  
Her entire body was shaking in fear and she whimpered in terror. "I...I'm sorry..." she whispered quietly; ".....I'm so sorry! Please...don't hit me....please......Daddy....don't hurt me..!"  
  
Yamcha froze when he heard her say this. The reality of it all slowly sunk in.  
  
He had beaten her.  
  
He felt as though his blood had turned to liquid nitrogen, freezing his heart and sending goosebumps of raw terror up on his tanned skin. Going wide eyed, he stared down at her, taking in her terified state, dark brown eyes roaming over the faded pink scars covering her delicate, exposed arms.... ..the old bruises and scratches that tainted her otherwise beautiful body......her trembling form, curled up in fear of him.  
  
She was afraid of him....  
  
"Shasta?"  
  
"L...Leave me alone.....please...I don't want to hurt anymore.."  
  
Yamcha timidly out stretched a hand to rest on her shoulder. When she did'nt swat him away, he braved moving a little closer and pulled her into a comforting embrace. He felt her shake in his arms, her body tensing in fear.  
  
"Shhhh, sweetie....shhh...it's alright... I'm not going to hurt you....I'm sorry I yelled at you...I'm sorry....shhh, don't cry." he whispered gently, stroking her hair tenderly as she slowly eased into his embrace, sobbing quietly into his shoulder.  
  
When she had soon recovered, he held her at arm's lenght, looking over her as she sat before him crosslegged on the bed, her face wet and shiny from tears. Shaking his head, Yamcha reached forward to brush away her tears. She recoiled slightly, moving back a little as though scared he might slap her in the face.  
  
"Please....don't..."  
  
"Sweetheart.....do you ...want to talk about it..?"  
  
Shasta looked up at this, face vulnerble and timid. Hestitating, she opened her mouth to speak, stammering a few times before finally regaining her composure. "I'm sorry for being such a bitch to you...but...the pain you inflicted on me all those years ago..the pain runs so deep.... I've tried to forget you, to move on and put it in the past, but seeing you here...it's brought back memories I've struggled to keep forgotten.."  
  
"What kind of memories?" Yamcha asked, looking sadly into her eyes as his heart ached in guilt...  
  
The young red-head looked up at him with wary, wet eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead, a gasp of pain escaped her throat. Eyes widdening, she doubled over, clutching her stomach and whincing as pain like she'd never known coursed through her entire body.  
  
Yamcha jumped in supprise. "Shasta..?! What's wrong-" he stopped short of himself, seeing the wet patch in her shorts, indicating that her waters had broken.  
  
Apparently, the baby decided to make an early appearance...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"NANI?!"  
  
Trunks froze mid-punch, eyes widdening in alarm. Not seeing his son's startled state, Vegeta proceeded to land a swift punch to his abdomen, causing the lavender haired demi-Saiyan to snap out of his daze. The raven haired Saiyan prince powered down and descended to the floor of the time chamber, arms folded and looking extremly irritated.  
  
"Boy, what is the meaning for your sudden break in training?" he asked peevishly, brows furrowing in a frown.  
  
Trunks turned to his father, one hand rubbing the spot were he'd been punched. It did'nt hurt much but still... "We have to get out of here." he said in a strangely distent voice.  
  
Vegeta blinked, cocking his head to one side. "Hmm? What's wrong?"  
  
"I..I think Shasta's in labour.."  
  
"NANI??!?"  
  
Trunks glanced towards the titanium steel door in the near distence. Brows furrowing, he ran like a shot towards it and melted the lock off with a beam of golden ki. Pushing the door open, he signalled for Vegeta to follow as he flung the door open and rushed outside, much to the supprise of the other Z-fighters, who were currently training under Piccolo.  
  
"Hey, Trunks! You're out early...what's up?" Goku queried, mouth half-full of chiken chop suey. The lavender haired Saiyan quickly explanned his suspions to the others in a hurried, flustered manner. Within minutes, Goku, Gohan, Krillen and Piccolo were struggling to catch up with the two stronger Saiyans as they blasted through the sky, following Trunks' lead as he raced towards the Capsule Corp....  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
END CHAPTER 9  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


End file.
